Project Milestones

April 2017
The project’s Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) is finalized by the program’s administrator.
April 2017
Tree clearing, removal and bank-stabilization work completed on river island in path of replacement bridge’s upstream span.
March 2017
Commission approves Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP), a package of policies intended to protect the Commission from liability and loss during project construction.
March 2017
Tree clearing and removal begins on a portion of a river island in the path of the replacement bridge’s upstream span./dd>
March 2017
Utility line relocation work begins on the Pennsylvania side of the Scudder Falls Bridge in advance of project construction.
March 2017
Construction activities resume for noise-abatement walls at warranted locations along the Pennsylvania I-95 approach to the Scudder Falls Bridge.
March 2017
Agreement executed between Trumbull Corporation and the Commission for the main project construction contract; Notice to Proceed is issued to Trumbull.
March 2017
Bond issue completed in the final par amount of $430.25 million, with proceeds of $22 million deposited in the project’s construction fund.
February 2017
Commission awards contracts to three engineering contracts that will provide construction inspection services for the multi-faceted bridge, roadway and interchanges project.
February 2017
Bond offering goes to pricing and is fully subscribed in 45 minutes; Commission receives $2.5 billion in orders, 6.4 times what was offered for sale.
February 2017
Bond sale advances with posting of Preliminary Official Statement and an Investor Presentation viewed by 65 representatives from 57 different investment firms, bond funds, and banks.
February 2017
Memorandum of Agreement along with an amendment to the project’s Programmatic Agreement are finalized with the New Jersey Green Acres program for the connection of the new bridge’s pedestrian walkway with the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath.
February 2017
Pivotal Section 404 permit from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Section 105 permit from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection are received.
February 2017
Trumbull submits insurance certificate, project labor agreement (PLA) documentation, and performance and payment bonds as contractually obligated.
January 2017
Notice to Proceed issued to Hill International, the engineering firm providing construction management services for the bridge replacement project.
January 2017
Commission the issuance of up to $475 million in bonds to finance the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project.
January 2017
Commission awards $396 million construction contract to Trumbull Corporation of Pittsburgh, PA.
January 2017
Advance Stage 2 tree cutting and removal work (New Jersey and Pennsylvania) completed along immediate approaches to Scudder Falls Bridge, in the vicinity of the new bridge, and at the bridge’s two flanking interchanges.
December 2016
NJ Department of Environmental Protection Freshwater Wetlands and Flood Hazard Area approvals issued; New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office project authorization issued
December 2016
Project bid submittal date extended to January 10, 2017
November 2016
PLA and OCIP documents made available for prospective contractors on November 10
October 2016
Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) formally authorized for Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project
October 2016
Commission appoints underwriting group for anticipated bond issue to finance the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project
October 2016
Construction management contract for Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project awarded
October 2016
Advance tree cutting work for project resumes (Stage 2) in areas of the new bridge, the flanking interchanges, and along the New Jersey approach roadway
September 2016
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission approves the schedule of tolls to be charged at the new bridge upon opening of the first completed span sometime in 2019
September 2016
Project construction contract put out to bid
September 2016
Public comment period on proposed Scudder Falls Replacement Bridge toll schedule closes
September 2016
First panels of PA I-95 noise-abatement walls go into place
August 2016
Commission extends deadline for comments on proposed Scudder Falls Bridge toll schedule into early September
July 2016
Video explaining Scudder Falls Replacement Bridge’s all-electronic tolling system posted on YouTube
July 2016
Commission authorizes Executive Director to enter into necessary agreements with various Pennsylvania utility companies for utility relocation costs associated with the project
July 2016
Bridge Commission holds hearings on new bridge’s proposed toll schedule in Ewing, NJ and Lower Makefield, PA
July 2016
Commission unveils proposed toll schedule for Scudder Falls Replacement Bridge, schedules hearings and opens public comment period
June 2016
Intergovernmental agreement with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation authorized by vote of the Commission
June 2016
Pre-construction activities begin for installation of noise-abatement wall along I-95 approach in Pennsylvania
May 2016
Construction contract and inspection services contract are awarded for advance Pennsylvania noise-abatement walls installation work
May 2016
Public comment period for New Jersey reforestation plan closes
May 2016
Commission releases Pennsylvania noise-abatement wall design survey results showing public’s preference for grey fractured-rock design
April 2016
Commission representatives and project team hold meeting with Lower Makefield residents to announce results of supplemental noise-data collection study
March 2016
Advance tree cutting ends for noise-abatement walls along Pennsylvania’s I-95 approach
March 2016
Open house on project design concepts, construction schedule and New Jersey tree cutting plan held in Ewing, NJ with corresponding hearing on New Jersey tree cutting plan; 60-day comment period on tree cutting plan begins
February 2016
Contract awarded for construction management of advance noise-abatement wall installation work and constructability review of 60-percent design submissions for Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project
January 2016
Additional noise sampling conducted along Pennsylvania I-95 approach
January 2016
Phase 1 advance tree cutting begins along the Pennsylvania I-95 approach to the bridge at areas where noise-abatement walls are warranted to be installed
January 2016
NJ Department of Environmental Protection initiates public notice process for conveyance of two Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park easements that are needed to carry out elements of the bridge replacement project
December 2015
An open house at a Lower Makefield middle school attracts 240 attendees; the event features an updated project schedule, a variety of viewing stations of project concepts, design renderings and environmental mitigation plans, an eight-minute video about the project, and examples of noise-abatement wall treatments for public input
November 2015
Advance tree-cutting contract awarded to clear the 4.4 project area of trees for installation of noise-abatement walls and for various bridge replacement project construction activities; tree cutting is conducted in two stages – early 2016 and late 2016/early 2017 with tree cutting suspended for Indiana bat foraging season (April 1 through September 30)
September 2015
Public involvement contract awarded to McCormick Taylor, Inc. to plan and carry out a public involvement program for the project including meetings, videos, toll hearings and other outreach efforts
July 2015
Soil boring work underway in the vicinity of the bridge; the geotechnical research was extensive and involved 297 land borings, 27 water borings, 32 test pits and 110 pavement before completion
July 2015
Construction activities for stopgap deck repair project at the current Scudder Falls bridge; the goal is to put the bridge’s weathered and rutted road deck in a sufficiently improved condition so that it may continue in service long enough to allow for construction of the new, improved replacement bridge
July 2015
Commission awards pre-construction traffic study for local state roads and intersections and five I-95 interchanges in the general vicinity of the Scudder Falls Bridge
May 2015
Subsurface Boring and Sampling Contract awarded for Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project; results will be used to assist in preparation of project’s final designMarch 2015
March 2015
Aerial mapping and surveying begins for final design work
February 2015
Commission awards final design contract for the Scudder Falls Bridge Replacement Project
January 2015
Lower Makefield Township – Act 167 Consistency Letter issued; letter states that the storm-water management plans developed for the project’s PA side are consistent with Lower Makefield’s Delaware River South Watershed Stormwater Management Ordinance (Act 167 Plan)
March 2014
Commission received Bucks County Conservation District – Erosion and Sediment Control Approval and Bucks County Conservation District – Pennsylvania NPDES Approval.
July 2013
Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission (NJ) Certificate of Approval received.
June 2013
NJ Department of Environmental Protection issues Freshwater Individual Permit, Flood Hazard Area Verification, Flood Hazard Area Permit, and Water Quality Certificate approval.
January 2013
Commission completes archaeological research and cataloging of recovered artifacts from identified project impact sites in Ewing, N.J. and Lower Makefield, PA. in accordance with National Historic Preservation Act and in coordination with New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; materials and reports delivered to respective state museums in Trenton and Harrisburg
September 2012
Commission receives FHWA confirmation that a tolling agreement is not required for the project under the federal MAP-21 transportation funding act
June 2012
Federal Highway Administration issues a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decision and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
February 2012
Commission approves project's Interagency Agreement with state departments of transportation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
January 2012
Public comment period ends on EA Addendum; project team moves to submit remaining environmental/cultural resources documentation to FHWA for possible FONSI
December 2011
Public hearing held on tolling impacts and bike-ped path
November 2011
EA Addendum issued concerning Commission's plans to toll the replacement bridge using an all-electronic toll collection system and to include a bike-ped walkway
January 2011
Commission receives FHWA opinion affirming Commission's legal authority to toll the Scudder Falls Replacement Bridge
September 2010
Traffic consultant Jacobs Engineering submits study and analysis of traffic diversion that could occur once tolling (southbound direction only) is implemented at the replacement bridge; study (updated in May 2011 with comments made by transportation agencies) concludes that traffic diversion from tolled bridge will have minimal impacts to local roadways and bridges
August 2010
Commission formally initiates process to evaluate and deliberate potential project procurement as a Public-Private Partnership (P3); P3 later deemed disadvantageous for the Commission and its customers
July 2010
Commission asked by administrations in both states to consider possible P3 procurement for the project
June 2010
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issues a final Biological Opinion wherein a "No Jeopardy" determination was made with regards to impacts on threatened and endangered species
April 2010
Statement of Intent for project approved by Commission; authorizes design-bid-build procurement for the project and formally makes a bike/ped facility a project component
February 2010
Comment period closes for 561-page Environmental Assessment distributed in December
January 2010
Open House/Public Hearing held on draft EA document at two locations (one on each side of the river)
December 2010
Commission unanimously approves tolling (cashless, no toll booths) for replacement bridge as means to pay project costs
December 2010
561-page EA issued for public review and comment; document identifies and assesses how the project may impact the environment, including aesthetics, air quality, noise, water quality and aquatic life, historic resources, and cultural resources
September 2003
Commission initiates environmental documentation process eventually resulting in 892-page FONSI/NEPA decision; project-specific website and project information phone line established
January 2003
Commission enters into Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with NJDOT and PennDOT establishing the project limits as a 4.4-mile segment of I-95 from PA Route 332 in Bucks County, PA. to Bear Tavern Road in Mercer County, N.J; MOA states the Commission will bear sole financial responsibility for project's environmental document and preliminary engineering costs
September 2000
Southerly Crossings Corridor Study examines four bridges within a 9-mile reach of Trenton (Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge/Route 1, Lower Trenton, Calhoun Street and Scudder Falls); report identifies the Scudder Falls Bridge as a high priority for improvement