The bridge has been closed weekdays since March for major structural rehabilitation and painting.
The Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge will be open to traffic weekdays beginning noon Friday, four weeks ahead of the originally scheduled opening date of Aug. 17.
A weekday closure of the bridge, from 6 a.m. Mondays to 6 p.m. Fridays, has been in effect since March 5 as a result of a major structural rehabilitation and painting of the bridge by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.
The bridge has been open to weekend traffic throughout the construction period.
"We are very pleased that the contractual arrangements provided the contractor the incentive to remove the weekday detour well ahead of schedule and that area residents and businesses will now have full use of the facility four weeks sooner than originally planned," said Frank G. McCartney, executive director of the bridge commission. "Our contract with J.D. Eckman for rehabilitation of the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge is the first time that the bridge commission has used an innovative incentive/disincentive clause to encourage early completion. As you might expect, we are delighted with the results. This is a win-win for everyone."
The bridge rehabilitation work included replacement of the entire floor system including the open steel grid deck, stringers, floor beams and bottom lateral bracing, removal of the existing lead-based paint using an approved containment apparatus, and application of a new environmentally safe paint system.
A rededication of the bridge is planned for Monday, July 30. The ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m. at the New Jersey approach to the bridge. For further information, call the commission offices at (215) 295-5061.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, formed by the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey in 1934, operates seven toll and 13 toll-supported bridges over the Delaware River from Trenton-Morrisville to the New York border.