Bridge commission begins toll bridge rehab

MILFORD — As if to celebrate its birthday, this month the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carrying Route 206 from New Jersey will begin a shore-to-shore rehabilitation that will cost upwards of $15 million. Engineers completed their plans for restoring and improving the 1,150-foot bridge structure and approach roadways in 2007, after the project was authorized by Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission members as part of the $624 million overall plan to redo and upgrade all 20 of its Delaware River spans. Preservation, protection, and improvement are the three main goals of the $624 million capital improvement plan. In the next 10 years, major bridge rebuilding, installation of EZ Pass and modern bridge security and surveillance will be undertaken, Pete Peterson, public relations consultant for the commission, said last week. The commission (often referred to by its initials ---DRJTBC), owns and operates the Milford-Montague Bridge, its northernmost — and smallest — in terms of traffic. The classic four-span truss bridge is also of the youngest and still robust at 54. The average age of commission bridges is 70. Peterson said the major renewal of the bridge and its approaches should obviate the need for any further major updating for at least 15 years. Measured by usage, the Milford -Montague Bridge is the smallest of the toll bridges operated by the bi-state commission. Its daily two-way traffic count has remained at 8,500 vehicles for the last two years. The engineering firm of Modjeski & Masters was awarded a $1.5 million contract for structural rehabilitation of the bridge itself, refurbishment of its approach roadways, blast-cleaning and repainting of the superstructure, toll plaza rehabilitation, deck expansion and joint replacement and new signage. The span was last resurfaced in 1998. Plans for detours or lane closings will be announced as soon as work begins, Peterson said. The commission operates and maintains 20 bridges between the New Jersey and Pennsylvania; 13 are free and seven tolled. The toll bridges generate all of the income needed to support all 20 bridges. Regardless of age or size all commission bridges charge the same toll to automobile motorists --75 cents with discounts up to 40 percent for commuters using EZ Pass. More than 54 percent of the vehicles crossing at Milford use EZ Pass. Trucks pay much more depending size. EZ Pass allows motorists to drift slowly through toll booths without stopping and the devices have dramatically reduced congestion. A receiver on the bridge reads signals from a transponder mounted in the vehicle and automatically bills drivers’ credit cards. Milford-Montague Bridge When: Built from 1950 to 1953. Opened in Dec. 1953. What: Four section, steel truss bridge of classic design. Two lanes, 1,150 feet long. Who: Built by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. Where: Spanning the Delaware from Milford to Montague, N.J. How much: Rehabilitation estimated to cost upwards of $15 million. To begin this month. Revenues: in 2007 amounted to approximately $1.2 million --$327,900 from trucks and the remainder from cars. Volume: Some 3.1 million two-way trips across the Milford bridge were counted in 2007 and 2006. Employee cost: regular salaries for Milford bridge employees in 2007 were budgeted at $745,000, with health and retirement expenses making the total compensation for employees to slightly more than $1 million. Source: Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission