Minor travel delays possible as Delaware River bridges undergo safety inspections

Motorists may experience brief travel delays during off-peak hours as the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission begins its biennial inspection of non-toll river this week.

The commission's engineering department and general engineering consulting firm were scheduled to start the inspection process Monday at the Centre Bridge-Stockton Toll-Supported Bridge between Solebury, Pennsylvania, and Stockton, New Jersey. The inspections will then proceed to other toll-supported bridges along the river over the following weeks and are expected to conclude in early summer.

While much of the inspection work will occur out of public view, temporary flagger-controlled travel restrictions may be needed during off-peak hours. Any impacts to motorists are expected to be minor.

The commission conducts bridge inspections annually, examining toll bridges in odd-numbered years and non-toll bridges in even years. The biennial inspections comply with Federal Highway Administration requirements and National Bridge Inspection Standards. The findings are published in the commission's annual inspection reports and help prioritize capital improvements and schedule maintenance work.

This year's inspections will include a new component: ultrasonic testing of bridges with pin connections that cannot be examined visually. The commission added this testing after discovering a deteriorated pin during the 2024 rehabilitation of the New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge. The pin was a 17-inch-long, 4-inch-diameter solid-steel cylindrical connector with a threaded end. An additional consultant will conduct the ultrasonic testing.

Toll-supported bridges are free for public use, but their operation and maintenance costs are funded by tolls collected at the commission's eight toll bridges.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission operates 20 bridges total, including eight toll bridges and 12 toll-supported bridges, two of which are pedestrian-only spans. The agency's jurisdiction extends along the Delaware River from the Philadelphia-Bucks County line north to the New Jersey-New York border. More than 131.9 million cars and trucks crossed commission bridges in 2025.

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