Attention: New Jersey truckers! The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is proposing to replace a toll-free bridge on Interstate 95 with a tolled structure.

Truckers could be responsible for paying as much as $16.25 to cross a new Scudder Falls Bridge. This is a seriously misguided plan, and you are encouraged to make your voice heard on the issue.

As part of a proposal to widen I-95 and relieve congestion, the commission is looking at getting rid of the 50-year-old Scudder Falls Bridge, which links New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and charging a toll to use the replacement bridge.

The DRJTBC has scheduled two public hearings for next month to discuss their plans while a public comment period remains in effect through Feb. 4, 2010.

The bridge project calls for 4.4 miles of I-95 to be widened by one lane in each direction using land in the median. The four-lane Scudder Falls Bridge would be replaced with a six-lane structure and would include a pedestrian crossing. The I-95 Taylorsville Road Interchange and the Route 29 interchange would be reconfigured and a $7.5 million noise barrier would be constructed.

Truckers should make sure the commission hears about the strain this toll would put on trucking businesses. Public hearings are scheduled as follows:

• Jan. 19, 2010, at Villa Victoria Academy, 376 W. Upper Ferry Road, Ewing, NJ. Open house begins at 5 p.m. with the public hearing beginning at 7 p.m.
• Jan. 20, 2010, at Sheraton Bucks County Hotel, 400 Oxford Valley Road, Langhorne, PA. Open house begins at 5 p.m. with the public hearing beginning at 7 p.m.

In addition to the hearings, a public comment period began Dec. 9 and concludes Feb. 4, 2010. Address public comments to:

Kevin Skeels
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
110 Wood & Grove Streets
Morrisville, PA 19067
E-mail: scudderfallsbridgeEAcomments@hntb.com