Wednesday
September 18, 2024 
The fate of the 119-year-old Washington Crossing Toll Supported Bridge remains uncertain.
As Upper Makefield officials advance historic preservation efforts ultimately aimed at preventing an overhaul of the span, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) has hired an engineering firm to conduct a multi-year review process that’s intended to help decide if the bridge should be replaced.
For a cost not to exceed about $8 million, Philadelphia-based HDR Engineering will conduct preliminary engineering, environmental assessments, and analysis of alternative plans, among other work. DRJTBC said public involvement will be part of the process, which commission officials said will take “years.”
“[This] contract award is a step forward toward determining what approach the commission should take” with the bridge, said DRJTBC Executive Director Joe Resta.
Resta continued: “This environmental review will take years to complete. It’s a first step strictly limited to research and analysis. It does not authorize the hiring of a contractor and it certainly does not authorize design and construction of a new bridge.”
The Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors informed residents of DRJTBC’s hiring of the firm at a recent a public meeting. Supervisor Chair Yvette Taylor said township board members and residents learned of the HDR hiring because they attended a June DRJTBC meeting – all part of an ongoing effort to stay informed about the potential project and ensure township concerns are heard.
“We continue to encourage residents to attend DRJTBC meetings,” Taylor said.
While DRJTBC calls the narrow bridge a “bane” to motorists, many locals in Upper Makefield oppose putting in a new modern span. They worry such a structure will vastly increase traffic, decrease road safety, denigrate habitat for wildlife, diminish property values, and effectively lower quality of life, all while destroying a structure they deem historic and significantly downgrading the broader historical character of the Washington Crossing area.
Washington Crossing, which is part of Upper Makefield, marks the famous spot where Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night en route to a Revolutionary War victory at the Battle of Trenton.
Taylor also told residents at the supervisors’ mid-July public meeting that there’s been preliminary progress on historic preservation efforts, which the township initiated after learning earlier this year of DRJTBC’s possible plans to replace the bridge.
Supervisors have contracted preservation expert Jeff Marshall to spearhead initiatives focused on getting the Washington Crossing Bridge, buildings near it, and the Taylorsville section of the township placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Much more rigorous standards must be met to alter structures with such a historic designation.
Taylor said Marshall has met with the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum State Historic Preservation Office, which would determine if the local areas/bridge qualify for the special historic status. A response from the state is now being awaited. It could take a while, but the process is underway.
“We will,” Taylor told residents, “continue to keep you informed.”
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