Future Of Washington Crossing Bridge Raises 'Grave Concerns'

UPPER MAKEFIELD, PA — The Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors on March 19 voted unanimously to pass a resolution voicing "grave concerns" regarding the intentions of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to study the replacement of the Washington Crossing Bridge.

In a five-page resolution adopted by the board, the supervisors call on the commission to include the township in any further deliberation and decisions going forward, lists many of the concerns residents have raised regarding any plans to replace the bridge, and expresses disappointment that the township wasn't consulted before the commission made its announcement.

"The Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors insists upon being provided with all information regarding the need for bridge replacement that is in the possession of the bridge commission and that the township be consulted prior to any future discussions, deliberation and decisions regarding the bridge that is such an important part of our community," reads the resolution.

In February, the commission announced that it has begun looking into the idea of replacing the Washington Crossing Bridge and had published a request for proposals for engineering and environmental studies as part of the process.

"We don't want to see something that is destructive or will destroy or negatively affect the village of Washington Crossing," said Supervisor Tom Cino in supporting the resolution. "We may have some disagreement on how to get there and how to approach it, but we're all on the same page. Every comment I've heard, everyone seems to have that same vibe. This is a community that stands united in protection of our national treasure that we are blessed with protecting."

Supervisor Braun Taylor added, "We reached out to the community and we put together a document that we are very proud of. This memorializes numerous concerns and will provide us a roadmap of those concerns as we navigate this process. This is not going to be over tonight," he said. "And it's not going to be over in six months. It will be over in 25 years. We need your continued support. We need you to attend the Joint Toll Bridge Commission meeting on Monday, March 25 and continue to give them your concerns."

It's going to be a process that will need continued participation, agreed Supervisor Ben Weldon. "The Scudder Falls Bridge project was being talked about in Lower Makefield as early as 2004 and was not completed until 2021. So bring snacks and make sure you pace yourself as you work your way through this process and the Bridge Commission is absolutely the best place to bring the concerns you have directly to them so they understand how you feel about the bridge," he said.

"The more powerful we are now, the more impact," said Supervisor Tim Thomas. "You're battling a giant bureaucracy and I'm glad we're on top of this as quickly as we can be. They didn't tell us anything about this before. We heard about it in the news. I think we're responding as quickly as possible with as much force as possible."

The supervisors also motioned to share the resolution with the township's elected officials including U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, State Senator Steve Santarsiero, the Bucks County Commissioners, and State Rep. Perry Warren as well as the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and the township's counterparts across the river in Hopewell Township, New Jersey.

In a separate action, the supervisors took steps toward listing the bridge on the National Register of Historic Places.

In a motion, the board accepted a proposal from historic consultant Jeff Marshall, formerly with the Heritage Conservancy, to update information regarding the bridge's eligibility for the National Register.

"In 1985, the state determined that the bridge was eligible for listing on the National Registry," said Yvette Taylor, the chair of the board of supervisors. "What we'd like him to do is finalize the process of having the bridge actually listed."

Taylor said since the announcement was made by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to begin studying the replacement of the bridge, the township has fielded numerous questions and concerns from residents.

"There are many, many questions and many, many issues that need to be satisfactorily answered and to date we have not gotten those answers from the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission," said Taylor. "We will continue to seek answers that we need to have as a community and as supervisors."

Taylor said the supervisors have met with State Senator Steve Santarsiero to share their concerns and to obtain his advocacy. "We have also met with the Joint Toll Bridge Commission and we are awaiting a response to the inquiries that we left for them. We also extended an invitation for them to come to our meetings.

"Your attending their meetings is extremely important because this is all about getting information and getting facts," she told the public. "We have also spoken to Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and to State Rep Perry Warren for their support."