A new toll plaza is almost finished, although the E-ZPass Only lane has not been available for some time

MILFORD - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced that a new traffic pattern will be put in place on the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge during off-peak hours today (April 3).

As a result of the new lane configuration, motorists using the bridge will be able to travel entirely on new pavement for the first time since the project began slightly more than a year ago. The occasion also will mark the last major traffic shift on the bridge before the project's substantial completion target date, currently schedule for late May.

"This project is moving into the homestretch," said Frank G. McCartney, the DRJTBC's executive director. "This is a major milestone that will give the public a peek at what the final results of this roughly 18-month construction project are going to look like."

The traffic shift will be performed in stages throughout the day as work crews shift equipment and materials from the bridge's upstream eastern quadrant to the downstream eastern quadrant - both quadrants are on the New Jersey end of the bridge. When the shift is completed, the full length of the bridge's upstream travel lane will be open to motorists. Work on the bridge's roadway deck will then be limited to the fourth and final quadrant for the next seven weeks.

The new traffic pattern is to be put in place between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Motorists may encounter brief interruptions of traffic in both directions during this period, but none of the interruptions should last longer than 15 minutes. As with any bridge construction project, the scheduled traffic changes are subject to change due to weather, construction, emergency or traffic-related considerations.

After completion of the traffic lane shift, a temporary traffic signal will remain in place on the bridge to control alternating lanes of traffic through the work zone. For safety reasons, the speed limit in both directions has been reduced to 25 mph.

Additionally, due to the limited lane widths during construction, wide loads and permit loads are prohibited while the bridge deck is being replaced.

The Milford-Montague rehabilitation project consists of the replacement of the bridge's precast concrete deck panels, replacement of deteriorated supporting stringers and the blast-cleaning and painting of the entire steel superstructure. The Pennsylvania and New Jersey approaches and shoulders will be repaired and or replaced and additional signage will be installed on the approaches. The existing toll plaza is also being replaced with two new booths and a dedicated E-ZPass lane. The $19.1 million project is currently on a track to be substantially completed by Memorial Day.