- The Easton-Phillipsburg "free bridge" will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction
- Restrictions will be in place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 19 and 20
- Workers will take the next two days to complete a color-changing lighting project on the structure
EASTON, Pa. — The Easton-Phillipsburg “free bridge” will be restricted to one lane in each direction for limited hours through Wednesday and Thursday.
The Northampton Street Toll-Supported Bridge will be limited to single lanes in each direction from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, and Thursday, Sept. 21.
Officials are warning travelers delays are possible.
Restricting the lanes will allow work crews to install a new series of electrical devices required for the completion of a new programmable color-changing architectural lighting system on the bridge.
This work is a leftover facet of the Northampton Street Toll-Supported Bridge Rehabilitation Project, which began in late 2021 and reached substantial completion in November 2022.
According to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, global supply chain issues delayed the delivery of those components, resulting in project-related lane closures being placed on hold in early May.
Officials expect the bridge lighting work to be completed in October, with only temporary off-peak weekday single-lane closures expected to be required to complete the remaining work.
Single lanes in each direction are to be maintained at the bridge at all times, with an auxiliary left-turn-only lane at the bridge’s Larry Holmes Drive intersection in Easton as often as possible.
To help mitigate possible backups or delays at the weight-restricted bridge, the commission is urging New Jersey-bound drivers to use the nearby Easton-Phillipsburg Toll Bridge instead. Tolls are not charged in the New Jersey-bound direction of the bridge.
The 127-year-old, 550-foot-long, 36-foot-wide bridge is the commission's busiest non-toll crossing, with a three-ton weight limit and a 15-mph speed limit.
Bridge monitors are stationed at each end of the bridge on a 24/7 basis to prevent crossings of overweight vehicles.
According to the commission website, the bridge was set to be completed by spring 2023 at a cost of $15.5 million.
The primary goals of the project included extending the bridge’s service life for communities on both sides of the river, improving safety, mitigating major repairs for at least 15 years, and improve the bridge’s lighting and electrical systems.
