Bridge Project Causing Traffic Nightmares In Washington Xing

WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA — In 1776, George Washington and his men braved an icy Delaware River to carry out a pivotal attack in the Revolutionary War.

In 2019, hundreds of disgruntled commuters are lining up to cross that river in the same spot, albeit under far less critical stakes.

Construction on the Scudder Falls Bridge project has caused some serious traffic this week in the historic village. The construction has closed nearby roads, ramps, and lanes, resulting in a build-up of traffic near the narrow Washington Crossing bridge.

Upper Makefield Township Police say they've received numerous complaints about the traffic, but unfortunately, it's beyond their control.

"The traffic on Monday was definitely the worst we’ve seen without having an accident causing the backup," Upper Makefield Police said in a message to Patch. Traffic was bad again Wednesday, with cars lined up from the river bridge to the canal bridge.

This week, River Road (Rt. 32) was closed in the area of the Scudder Falls Bridge. I-295 off ramps to Taylorsville Road are closed through Aug. 17.

Authorities believe it's the road closures and construction — not the new toll — that is causing the issues, as the toll is currently billed one-way upon crossing into Pennsylvania.

"But, it’s hard for us to accurately determine if some of the evening commuters heading back to PA are using the Washington Xing Bridge to avoid the toll. We have not seen a large, consistent increase in traffic volume in the evening," police said.

Related: 1st Span Of New Scudder Falls Bridge Opens July 10

More bad news: construction is far from over. While the first span opened earlier this month, the second span wan't open until late 2020 or early 2021. "Another transitional period will then get underway to complete the final stage of the 4-1/2-year-long regional-transportation project. Final project completion is expected in fall 2021," according to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

Here are the closures/restrictions on the Pennsylvania side as of July 31:

• River Road/PA Route 32 – CLOSURE AND DETOUR in the vicinity of the Scudder Falls Bridge 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, July 29. Closure points will be at the intersection of North Delaware Avenue/Route 32 and East Afton Avenue/Route 332 in Yardley to the south and at the intersection of River Road/Route 32 and Woodside Road in Lower Makefield. Affected motorists are advised to follow posted detour signs and use nearby North Main Street/Woodside Road for north-south travel around the closed roadway section. Also, alternating single-lane travel is possible with traffic controlled by flaggers, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, to Friday, Aug. 2.
• I-295 EB off-ramp to Taylorsville Road (Exit 10) – Uninterrupted closure with detour via the Route 332Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8); ending on or about Aug. 17. DETOUR: From the PA Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8), follow detour signs for “Taylorsville Road” by proceeding eastbound on PA Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road toward Yardley, where Route 332 become West Afton Ave. before intersecting with Main Street (traffic light) in Yardley’s business center. Make a left and proceed onto North Main Street, which becomes Taylorsville Road outside of Yardley. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW I-295/TAYLORSVILLE ROAD RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
• On-ramp for I-295 and the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge NJ-bound from Taylorsville Road SB –Uninterrupted closure with posted detour to I-295 in the NJ-bound direction via the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8); ending on or about Aug. 17. DETOUR: From the I-295/Taylorsville Road interchange, follow detour signs for “I-295 SB,” take the nearby entry ramp for I-295 WB toward Newtown and Philadelphia, proceed to the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown interchange (Exit 8), make a left at the top of the exit ramp, cross over I-295, immediately bear right onto the entry ramp for I-295 EB, and proceed back toward the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge where I-295 EB becomes I-295 SB upon crossing into New Jersey.(CLICK HERE TO VIEW I-295/TAYLORSVILLE ROAD RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
• On-ramp for I-295 and the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge NJ-bound from Taylorsville Road NB –Uninterrupted closure with posted detour to I-295 in the NJ-bound direction via the Route 332/Yardley-Newtown Road interchange (Exit 8); ending on or about Aug. 17. DETOUR FROM YARDLEY BUSINESS CENTER: Follow detour signs for I-295 SB from East Main Street, proceed onto West Afton Avenue (PA Route 332), turn right at intersection with Yardley-Newtown Road (PA Route 332), proceed to the interchange with I-295 EB, bear right onto ramp for I-295 EB toward the Scudder Falls Tolls Bridge where I-295 EB becomes I-295 SB upon crossing into New Jersey. (CLICK HERE TO VIEW I-295/TAYLORSVILLE ROAD RAMP CLOSURES DETOUR MAP)
• I-295 EB approaching the Scudder Falls Toll Bridge and continuing across the bridge to NJ where the designation becomes I-295 SB – Off-peak intermittent single-lane travel – if needed for construction activities – 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. (next day) Monday, July 29, through Friday, Aug. 2.
• Taylorsville Road north of I-295 – Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 29, to Friday, Aug. 2.
• Taylorsville Road south of I-295 – Intermittent single-lane patterns with possible flagger-controlled travel 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 29, to Friday, Aug. 2.
• Woodside Road – Intermittent right or left lane closures with passage maintained in each direction and/or flagging-controlled travel 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 29, to Friday, Aug. 2.