New Hope-Lambertville Bridges: ‘We Never Close Because Of Snow’

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is preparing crews and equipment as forecasters predict a major snowstorm will dump snow across the region this weekend.

The commission oversees 20 bridges connecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey over a 140-mile section of the Delaware River.

Because its bridges serve as vital links between the states, Executive Director Joseph Resta said the agency does not have the option to close bridges because of snow.

“We never close because of snow,” Resta said. “Our crews assemble for a given location and their job is to keep that bridge clear and the interchange clear. They’ll stay at that location and just keep it clear.”

Part of the commission’s local snow clearing operation is centered at Woodbourne and Big Oak roads in Middletown Township at a southern region facility built several years ago on a former turkey farm, which is central to several bridges. The area hub is supported by smaller sites in New Hope, Morrisville, and other parts of the commission’s jurisdiction.

The commission manages snow removal for the Trenton–Morrisville Bridge, Lower Trenton Toll-Supported Bridge, Calhoun Street Toll-Supported Bridge, Scudder Falls Bridge, Washington Crossing Toll-Supported Bridge, New Hope-Lambertville Toll-Supported Bridge, New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202) Bridge, Centre Bridge–Stockton Bridge, Lumberville–Raven Rock Bridge Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Toll-Supported Bridge, Upper Black Eddy–Milford Toll-Supported Bridge, and Riegelsville Bridge in Bucks County.

Preparation for a storm of a large magnitude begins a week in advance, according to Nat Amato, deputy director of maintenance.

Crews have spent the last several days repairing equipment and replenishing supplies of fuel, magnesium chloride, and rock salt.

The Middletown Township facility houses roughly 5,000 tons of salt in covered storage. The new facility has a larger-than-previous capacity due to the salt dome collapse in Bristol Township a decade ago that disrupted regional supplies.

“At the time we didn’t have adequate salt storage, so it was tough to pre-purchase,” Resta said. “Now we have more room to store it. What we do is we pre-purchase in the fall and try to buy. We fill everything up.”

Unlike PennDOT or NJDOT, which manage long highway stretches, the commission’s concentrated footprint allows for more frequent maintenance passes.

“Our level of service can be that much higher because logistically we’re doing that many more runs,” Amato said, noting his crews focus on the bridges, interchanges around them, the roadway leading up to the crossings, and the pedestrian walkways.

Crews expect to apply liquid brine to roadways late Friday and early Saturday.

Amato explained the brine prevents snow from bonding to the surface in the early part of a storm.

One challenge can be that bridge decks freeze faster than asphalt roads because they lack the same heat retention and are exposed to cold air from below.

“Bridges freeze before roadways because of the cool air underneath the bridge,” Resta said. “In a heavy storm situation, that’s a low temperature situation, it just means that we may need to be out there a couple hours before somebody that is on an earthen roadway.”

The agency uses a variety of equipment that works best on specific spans.

While large tri-axle trucks with wing plows clear I-295, smaller vehicles are required for historic, weight-restricted crossings like Washington Crossing and the New Hope-Lambertville toll-supported bridges.

Staffing and crew rest is always top during larger snow events that can last up to 40 hours.

Amato said schedules are set to ensure workers arrive before the snow starts to avoid travel difficulties.

“You need to be able to have crews that are rotated,” Resta said, adding that this winter has seen weekend storms that require staff to work during their normal off-hours.

While fewer cars on the road can make plowing easier, Amato noted that a lack of traffic can also be a hindrance. Without tires agitating the salt into the snowpack, it is harder to trigger the melting process that helps plows clear the bridge deck.

The commission’s control center will monitor road temperatures and traffic throughout the weekend, while bridge patrols will assist with the crashes and breakdowns that often increase during winter storms.

With its property in multiple municipalities on both sides of the river, the commission has cooperation agreements with different towns and the states to accommodate cooperation during clearing operations, Resta said.

Forecasters were call for as much of a foot on snow between Saturday night and Monday morning.

“We’re ready,” Amato said as he looked over the commission’s plow fleet.

All snow clearing is funded by revenue from the commission’s eight toll bridges, as the agency receives no state or federal funding.