The I-80 bridge at Delaware Water Gap will get funding for rehabilitation and implementation of Open Road Tolling

NEW HOPE, PA - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today approved a capital budget for 2010 that forecasts investing $106.9 million in transportation and bridge infrastructure improvements. The funding is expected to further stimulate the regional economy, provide new opportunities for job creation, and enhance safety and reduce congestion on the Commission's bridges.

The capital plan lays out the various planning and construction activities the Commission expects to perform in 2010 for purposes of improving and rehabilitating its transportation infrastructure. All elements of the capital program are entirely self-funded by the Commission - through revenues collected on its seven toll bridges. The Commission does not currently receive any federal or state funding or gasoline tax revenues for its capital program. The capital plan is strictly a planning document; individual capital projects and construction contract awards must be approved separately by the Commission.

District 3:

• $7.8 million for rehabilitation projects on the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge ($16.4 million estimated total cost)
• $6.5 million for the implementation of Open Road Tolling at the Delaware Water Gap (I-80) Toll Bridge ($7.1 million estimated total project cost)

"The capital plan for the coming year represents a significant investment in the region's transportation infrastructure," said Frank G. McCartney, Executive Director of the Delaware River joint Toll Bridge Commission. "We are addressing issues of safety and security while alleviating congestion, stimulating the local economy, and creating jobs."

Based upon figures provided by the Associated General Contractors of America, the Commission projects that the 2010 capital plan could help create or sustain as many as 2,850 jobs in the construction, materials supply, engineering, and back-office service sectors and help generate as much as $340 million in regional economic activity.