The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission warning evening peak commuters to anticipate severe backups and delays approaching the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge on I-295 northbound from the New Jersey side for travel into Pennsylvania 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. TOMORROW, Wednesday, Nov. 10.
I-295 NB (PA-bound) will be reduced to a single lane (one travel lane instead of three lanes) for a roughly 37-hour-long uninterrupted “high-intensity construction cycle” (HICC) starting 7 p.m. TODAY and continuing until approximately 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11.
The single-lane travel pattern will begin a short distance after the CR-579/Bear Tavern Road interchange (Exit 75) in Ewing and continue across the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge’s upstream span into Pennsylvania, ending in the vicinity of the Dolington Road overpass in Lower Makefield, PA.
While the single-lane pattern may cause some delays and backups at any time, the most severe congestion is expected to occur during Wednesday evening’s peak commuting times -- 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. During these times, traffic queuing of a two miles or more is likely with corresponding travel delays of an hour or more.
Due to these possible conditions, the Commission is urging affected Pennsylvania-bound commuters on I-295 NB in Mercer County to postpone their travel or use the Trenton-Morrisville (Route 1) as a travel alternative during Wednesday evening’s peak driving period.
The rare around-the-clock single-lane travel pattern is needed so work crews can apply the final asphalt surface to the left and center lanes of I-295 northbound on the bridge’s New Jersey side and I-295 westbound on the bride’s Pennsylvania side. Diamond grinding of the upstream bridge’s polyester-polymer concrete surface also will take place during the continuous closure period.
The work is among a series of intensified construction activities now taking place so the 4-1/2-year-long Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project can reach substantial completion in the middle of next month.
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