New Scudder Falls Bridge into Ewing, NJ eyes May 27 target date

EWING — Having reached "substantial completion" status just before the end of 2021, the five-year, 4.4-mile project to replace the Scudder Falls Bridge across the Delaware River into Mercer County will wrap up with little fanfare at the end of the month.

The first new span opened in 2019, with work continuing through the COVID-19 pandemic to open the second one last summer, according to Joseph Donnelly, deputy executive director of communications for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

And even though it's a bridge, connecting Lower Makefield, Pa. and Ewing Township, Donnelly said there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and there will be few motorist impacts going forward.

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"Landscaping and drainage, I guess those would be the things that the contractor still needs to fine-tune," he said. "Bridge work, interchanges, the highway widenings that took place, all of that, the heavy lifting, is over with."

A release from the DRJTBC last week suggested temporary, single-lane closures might still be possible during weekday daytime hours, either on Route 295 or the Route 29 southbound roundabout bypass, but those are not expected to cause any traffic troubles.

The rehabilitation has already greatly improved thru traffic over the river, according to Donnelly.

"No more delays for people trying to get to or from Mercer Airport, no more delays for people commuting to and from jobs," he said.

All contractually obligated new signage has been placed, and there will be no ribbon-cutting when the target completion date of May 27 arrives.

That type of festivity was reserved only for the opening of the walkway across the span, which Donnelly said is the only one in the DRJTBC system that both pedestrians and bicycle riders can use.

"On this one, it's wide enough and the railings are high enough that people can ride across it," he said. "So we had an event for that and we're not having another one for this."

For all the final details on the new Scudder Falls Bridge, go to scudderfallsbridge.com.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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