Emergency Repairs Close Delaware River Turnpike Bridge
BRISTOL Twp., Pa. (CBS) -- Motorists heading into New Jersey from Pennsylvania and vice versa have one less option for the time being.
Carl DeFebo with the PA Turnpike Commission says 42,000 drivers use the Delaware River Turnpike Bridge -- located in Bucks County -- each day:
"It takes eastbound travlers on I-276 over the Delaware River from PA into New Jersey."
But on Friday...
"A crack in the structural steel beam was discovered on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge," DeFebo tells KYW Newsradio.
So, he says, they were forced to take action right away:
"As soon as that fracture was discovered in this truss the decision was made by the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Turnpikes to close the bridge in both directions."
Detours remain in place. There's no timetable when it will reopen.
As for the best way to get around the closure...
"In Pennsylvania," says DeFebo, "exit at the Delaware Valley Interchange, take Route 13 to Route 413 south, go over the Burlington-Bristol Bridge to US Route 130, then follow 130 to route 541 to the New Jersey Turnpike."
New Jersey Turnpike officials recommend using I-78, I-295 and the Burlington-Bristol Bridge when heading into Pennsylvania.
For updates, officials suggest calling 5-1-1, follow PA Turnpike Alerts on Twitter or download the SafeTripNJ app. Information is also available here and here.