The Delaware River Bridge, connecting Bucks County with New Jersey, will be replaced with $600 million in federal funding
U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick collaborated with state turnpike authorities and other lawmakers to secure the federal money for the bridge project.
Since a fractured support truss closed the Delaware River Bridge for weeks in 2017, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has been looking for a long-term solution to remediate the 70-year old connection between Bucks County and Burlington County.
And it may have finally arrived.
U.S. Sens. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) and Dave McCormick (R, Pa.) announced $600 million in federal funding Saturday from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to replace the Delaware River Bridge, according to a a joint news release.
The award came after a collaboration among the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, state and federal lawmakers, and the New Jersey Transit Authority to submit the federal grant application.
Fetterman and McCormick said the award is “one of the most consequential infrastructure commitments in Pennsylvania’s history."
The project is part of the Pa. Turnpike/I-95 Interchange project which aims to reduce congestion and improve the flow of traffic in the region and the East Coast. The federal funding will go toward widening the bridge and accommodating future traffic growth.
“The Delaware River Bridge is not just a Pennsylvania asset; it is a backbone of our national freight and passenger transportation network,” the Pennsylvania senators said. “This funding will make it safer and more resilient for the commuters, families, and businesses that depend on it every single day.”
Fetterman and McCormick said they wrote directly to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about why the bridge, which carries more than 67,000 vehicles daily, was deserving of funding through the government’s Bridge Investment Program, which focuses on bridges either in or at risk of being in poor condition.
The program was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by former President Joe Biden. President Donald Trump has taken credit for projects funded by his predecessor’s bill, despite him trying to derail the legislation, The New York Times reported.
In a statement to The Inquirer, Marissa Orbanek, the Turnpike Commission’s press secretary, thanked the senators, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks), and Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro for their involvement.
New Jersey’s two Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, advocated for the funding along with other officials from the Garden State.
“This is a critical investment in our Commonwealth and our region,” Orbanek said. “Investing in transportation and infrastructure through capital plan improvements, like the Delaware River Bridge Project, is essential to the Commonwealth’s economic development and critical to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s mission to provide the public with a safe and reliable roadway.”
For years, turnpike officials in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have been looking for a long-term fix for the bridge, which became especially congested after the I-95 interchange opened in 2018. Last fall, they had settled on two possible plans for replacing the bridge.
One option would have seen the bridge constructed all at once over four years; the second would have required the bridge to be built in stages over eight years. Officials were preparing an updated environmental impact statement and planned to unveil their decision this spring.
Orbanek said the commission is still analyzing the alternatives for the Delaware River Bridge and is planning to host the final of three public meetings this spring to present analysis.
The commission will hold public hearings on the project in late 2026.