Assessment of Delaware River Turnpike Bridge Continues

Assessment of Delaware River Turnpike Bridge Continues

1/20/2017-HARRISBURG

PA Turnpike Travel Advisory — For Immediate Release

UPDATE:

Structural engineers from the PA Turnpike Commission and New Jersey
Turnpike
Authority continue their evaluation of a fracture that was discovered
earlier
this afternoon on the bridge that carries Interstate 276 over the Delaware
River. The fracture was discovered on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge
on a
steel truss situated below the bridge deck. The bridge remains closed in
both
directions.

The fracture was noticed during a routine check of a bridge-painting
project by
an inspector examining painting work on the bridge, the ownership of which
is
divided between the two toll agencies. The painting contractor was hired by
the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) to repaint the entire bridge, which
carries more than 42,000 vehicles per day, combined eastbound and westbound

traffic.

The truss — an important structural component — must be repaired before the

bridge can reopen.

"Keeping this bridge closed is the right decision for the safety of both
our
travelers and workers," said PA Turnpike Chairman Sean Logan. "The bridge
will
remain closed through tomorrow, at the very least, and we urge motorists to

plan to take an alternate route and expect delays."

It is still not clear how long the repairs might take. Engineers from both
agencies hope to announce an estimated construction duration over the
weekend,
leaving enough time for motorists to plan for the upcoming work week.

The 1.5-mile-long bridge opened to traffic on May 23, 1956.

NEW DETOUR
PA Turnpike motorists heading east into New Jersey should use this revised
alternate route: Exit at the Bensalem Interchange, #351 in Bucks County.
Follow
U.S. Route 1 north, to I-95 north, to I-295, south, to I-195 east. Take
Exit 6
on I-195, and reenter the NJ Turnpike.

Expect slow-moving or stopped traffic in the area, especially during the
afternoon and evening hours.

To report an accident or other emergencies on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 on
your
mobile phone. To learn more about PA Turnpike conditions or to contact us,
use
one of these resources:

ON THE PA TURNPIKE
• Variable & Digital Message Signs — nearly 100 signs along the Turnpike
• Highway Advisory Radio — 1640 AM (tune-in near interchanges)
BY PHONE
• Turnpike Roadway Information Program (toll-free) — 866-976-TRIP (8747)
• Customer Assistance Center (toll-free) — 800-331-3414 (weekdays, 8:30
a.m. -
4:30 p.m.)
ON THE WEB
• TRIPTalk — free, travel-alert smartphone app; download at
https://www.paturnpike.com/travel/trip_talk.aspx
• Travel Conditions Map — live, interactive conditions map; view at
https://www.paturnpike.com/webmap
• Waze — a crowd-sourced navigation app that provides real-time traffic
conditions with input from other drivers; download at https://www.waze.com

# # #

NOTE: A PA Turnpike file photo of the Delaware River Bridge is available
for
download at this link:
https://www.paturnpike.com/yourTurnpike/multimedia_presentations.aspx

PA Turnpike Media Contact:
Carl DeFebo
717-645-2265 (mobile)


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