New I-95 Crossing Linking Pa, N.J. Will Be Toll Bridge

The new bridge carrying Interstate 95 over the Delaware River will replace the existing toll-free span north of Philadelphia and Trenton, N.J.

The Dec. 21 vote to toll by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission means that final design plans can proceed to replace the Scudder Falls Bridge that links Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Built 50 years ago, the four-lane bridge operates at what the federal government classifies as the worst level of service during peak travel periods, according to a statement issued by the commission.

The commission said that in 2007, more than 58,000 vehicles crossed the aging bridge daily. The number is expected to rise to 77,500 by 2030.

Tolling the new six-lane bridge was necessary because no state or federal funds are available to pay for a new span, the commission’s executive director Frank McCartney said in the statement.

Of the 20 bridges the commission operates on the river Scudder Falls is the most heavily-used, the commission said. Only seven of the 20 are tolled. Construction is expected to begin in 2011.