In mid-October, the second round of public meetings were held for the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge reconstruction project. This round focused on design alternatives for the bridge crossing.
The design alternatives under consideration called for replacing the current bridge with twin spans similar to the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
None of the alternatives include a bridge pathway. The project team appears to grasp our requests; however, they lack the authority to implement them into the design. Feedback gathered during public meetings suggests that the option for a non-motorized pathway is unlikely to be included. We must persuade the PA Turnpike Commission and NJ Turnpike Authority to allow access for such a provision.
What’s Next?
We’re committed to this cause. The estimated cost of the bridge project is over $1 billion. Incorporating a 12-foot shared-use path would have a minimal financial impact relative to the overall project cost. We will keep reaching out to elected officials in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, urging these often-insular authorities to make the right choice. We’re collaborating with Burlington and Bucks County to draft a joint letter of support for this initiative.
Additionally, we will engage with state officials in Pennsylvania. Later this month, we will present to the Pennsylvania Pedalcycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, seeking their backing. In New Jersey, we’ll be reaching out with our statewide partners to the transition team of Governor-Elect Mikey Sherrill.
How You Can Help Right Now
We urgently need your input! Please submit your comments here by November 14th. It is crucial to demonstrate strong public support throughout the design and engineering phases.
Tell the PA Turnpike Commission: Include options for a shared use path in your alternatives analysis and ask for an exception to the prohibition of pedestrians and bicyclists on Turnpike Right of Way or an amendment to the code. The Sideling Hill Trailhead and Laurel Highlands Trail Pedestrian Bridge, which both include trail facilities within Turnpike Right of Way, show that outdated regulations don’t need to stand in the way of good ideas in Pennsylvania.
Tell the NJ Turnpike Authority: Authorize bicycle and pedestrian access of the bridge to allow for the construction of a shared-use path. The State Code clearly states that the Turnpike Authority can make exceptions to the prohibition of these types of uses, and the Great Egg Harbor Shared Use Path provides an excellent example of the Authority doing exactly that.
For reference, it took six years for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to approve a pathway on the Scudder Falls I-295 bridge—which, coincidentally, used to be the previous alignment for I-95.
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