The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission plans to rehabilitate the historic Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge connecting Frenchtown, N.J., with Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania, next year, and is planning two public information sessions about the project for residents of the communities on either side of the river.
A view of the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge, which was built in 1931 and connects Frenchtown, N.J., with Tinicum Township, Pa. The bridge is scheduled to undergo repairs and improvements as part of a rehabilitation project in 2025. The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has planned two information sessions about the project for later this month.
The bridge–which is 93 years old and locally famous for its narrowness as well as its open grate decking–was last fully rehabilitated in 2001. Major anticipated improvements that will be part of the 2025 rehabilitation include repairing various pieces of the bridge’s steel superstructure; cleaning and repainting the entire steel superstructure and underlying bearings; repairing the bridge’s abutments, piers and retaining walls; and installing a programmable LED lighting system to highlight the bridge’s architectural profile along the river.
“The rehabilitation also could include replacement of the bridge’s 3-foot-9-inch walkway, but a decision on this work won’t be made until the pedestrian facility is evaluated during the project’s design process,” a DRJTBC webpage dedicated to the project stated.
The commission said its goal with the project–which is scheduled to take place in 2025–is to ensure that the bridge doesn’t need additional rehabilitation for at least 15 years.
The upcoming open houses will consist of viewing stations where members of the public will be able to talk with project design/engineering team members, ask questions and share their thoughts on the project. Comment sheets will be available for anyone who wants to submit formal comments to be made part of the official record for the project.
The information sessions will be held Monday, June 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Delaware Valley Volunteer Fire Co., 75 Headquarters Road, Erwinna, Pa., and Tuesday, June 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Frenchtown American Legion Post 113, 510 Harrison St., Frenchtown, N.J.
Both sessions will feature visual displays about general existing conditions, planned major project tasks, the anticipated project schedule, anticipated detours, the sequencing of the work stages and the programmable LED lighting system that would make the bridge more visible at night.
A public comment period is expected to follow the open houses and conclude at 4 p.m. July 12. Project planning will then shift into the final design process.
The bridge rehabilitation project is likely to significantly impact traffic in the area, due in part to the fact that the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge is the only river crossing for miles in either direction. The nearest span to the north is the Milford-Upper Black Eddy bridge, and the closest bridge to the south is at Stockton, N.J., about 12 miles away.
For more information about the plans, visit the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission website.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
