Why does it seem that there are so few construction workers on the project most afternoons?
Like many in the construction industry, contractors on this project have adjusted their shift schedules to allow their personnel to take advantage of the cooler morning hours and avoid the heat of summer afternoons. Crews often start as early as 6 a.m., and most are off the clock by 3 p.m. in the summer, having put in a full day's work.
I recall that there are three bridges between Trenton and Morrisville. Which one is being rebuilt under this project?
The bridge under construction is the Route 1 Toll Bridge. The other bridges between the two locales are the Lower Trenton Bridge, known for its “Trenton Makes The World Takes” sign, and the Calhoun Street Bridge. Both are located slightly upstream from the Toll Bridge and will be largely unaffected by this project.
Is the work area for this project limited to the toll bridge itself?
The entire work zone is actually more than a mile in length. It runs along Route 1 from the viaduct over the Delaware Canal and Conrail in Morrisville to about 500 feet north of the South Broad Street overpass in Trenton, a distance of some 6,500 feet.
Will the entire length of the project be affected the entire time?
During the major construction stages (Stages 1-3), the entire Route 1 project area will be set up as a work zone. During the Final Stage, most of the activities will affect surface streets on both sides of the river.
How will this work affect my commute in and around the work zone?
Motorists in the Route 1 work zone will find two lanes – narrowed from 12 feet to 10 ½ feet – open in each direction during peak travel times.
Lane closures, restricting traffic to a single lane in either or both directions in the work zone, may be in effect at any other time during off-peak hours weekdays, overnight and on weekends.
There also may be off-peak restrictions on surface roads approaching the bridge.
Will any of the on- or off-ramps be closed during this construction?
Some of the ramps within the work area may be narrowed slightly or placed on temporary alignment during certain construction activities, but most will remain accessible. The two southbound off-ramps at South Pennsylvania Avenue in Morrisville will be closed, but not at the same time, during Stage 1 construction. When these closures occur, however, simple detours will be set up at the interchange.
What do you mean by a simple detour?
When the off-ramp to Pennsylvania Avenue North is closed, motorists will be directed to the adjacent off-ramp to Pennsylvania Avenue South. A temporary traffic signal will be set up at the base of the ramp to allow motorists to turn left or right onto Pennsylvania Avenue.
When the off-ramp to Pennsylvania Avenue South is closed, the detour will take traffic to the off-ramp to Pennsylvania Avenue North, where a similar setup with a temporary signal will be in place to allow turns to both directions on Pennsylvania Avenue.
When exactly are those “peak” hours?
2 Lanes Open Northbound - M-F 5:30 am to 9:30 am
2 Lanes Open Northbound & Southbound - M-F 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm
2 Lanes Open Northbound - Sat. Noon to 5 pm
How will the southbound toll plaza be affected by this project?
This project will completely rebuild the southbound toll plaza. When finished, there will be five collection booths, two E-Z Pass only lanes and three for cash or EZ-Pass. During construction, there will be four booths open at the toll plaza, two E-Z Pass only lanes and two for cash or EZ-Pass.
When will the widening and reconstruction on the Route 1 Toll Bridge be completed?
The project is expected to be substantially completed by December 2009.
How much are these improvements to cost, and who is paying for them?
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, which owns the bridge, is paying the entire $87,179,731 cost of the improvements. The bid price for the construction project is $87,179,731, but the real cost, including fees for engineering, construction management and inspection, and utility relocation exceeds $100,000,000.
Route 1 northbound is only two lanes wide on the New Jersey side of the river. How will widening the northbound direction of the bridge to three lanes work with only two lanes available on the east side?
The third northbound lanes will be an “auxiliary lane” that will be an off-only dedicated lane for traffic exiting at NJ 29 in Trenton. The new lane will improve safety and traffic flow by allowing the two inside lanes to be used by through traffic.
Are any properties adjacent to the bridge or highway approaches being purchased for this work?
No additional land is needed for the improvements under this project.
Will the river itself be affected by this project?
Since the bridge deck will be widened by expanding both sides of the support piers at the top, there will be no disturbance of the river bed for the structural changes on the bridge. However, there will be temporary, safety-related restrictions on marine traffic during construction activities where there is any potential of material or equipment accidentally falling from the construction area.
During the operations to clean and repaint the underside of the structures, the entire work area will be enclosed and ventilated to prevent old paint, dust, etc. from becoming airborne.
Is there any lead in the old paint that will be removed during this project? And if so, what steps will be taken to prevent that from getting into the air or water?
As was stated above, all areas where old paint will be removed and the steel repainted will be totally encapsulated to prevent anything that is disturbed from getting into the air or water. The air inside will be re-circulated through filters to remove airborne particles. Material captured by the filters will be disposed of through normal methods of safe disposal for whatever type and level of hazardous waste that is present.
Where will noise walls be erected?
Noise walls will be placed atop the retaining wall on the northbound side of the approach in Morrisville and along the northbound on-ramp from Pennsylvania Avenue.
How will this project improve ramp access to the bridge?
Most of the on- and off-ramps within the work area will be widened slightly to provide adequate acceleration and deceleration space for vehicles entering and exiting Route 1.