Suspected damage to Washington Crossing Bridge under investigation

Span closed to traffic indefinitely.

By Ruth Luse
   The flooding of April 4 still is affecting those who use the Washington Crossing Bridge that connects the Titusville area with Washington Crossing, Pa.
   After reopening April 6 at about 2 p.m., the bridge was closed again the evening of April 7 and still was closed Wednesday.
   On Friday, Hopewell Township police Capt. George Meyer said the bridge would remain closed indefinitely, because of a problem detected after the flood waters of April 4 began to recede.
   Capt. Meyer’s comments were followed by a Friday afternoon Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) press release that said: "Inspections of the bridge following this week’s flood conditions detected damage to a 3-by-8-foot section of one of the bridge’s piers."
   Earlier Friday, Joe Salaga, superintendent of bridges, said the problem involves the "first pier on the Jersey side of the bridge," where some stone work is missing.
   Mr. Salaga said the Delaware River’s waters, which were dirty and still moving fast, would have to recede another 8-10 feet before "we can see down to the footings," something inspectors plan to do before the bridge is reopened.
   As a precaution, "we want to see if there is any more damage" to the pier, Mr. Salaga said, adding that divers would help conduct inspections.
   On Tuesday, divers had not begun their work. At that point, Mr. Salaga said, the water still was about "4 feet above the apron (which wraps around the bottom of the pier)." He said that as the waters continue to recede, "we are seeing more damage" to the pier. "We don’t know yet what we’re dealing with."
   The commission is not certain what caused the damage, but, according to the press release, "there are reports that the damage to the pier was caused by a large trash dumpster that was propelled into the pier by river currents reaching as high as 35 mph."
   Mr. Salaga said Tuesday that he and Hopewell Township Police Chief Mike Chipowsky stood on the bridge at one point early last week and saw the rushing waters bringing the dumpster, large trees and other debris toward the bridge.
   Frank McCartney, DRJTBC executive director, said in Friday’s press release: "We need to conduct a visual inspection of the pier, an effort that will likely require us to send a diver into the river. Unfortunately, that is not possible at this time given the low visibility underwater and the strength of the river currents. As a result, the bridge will remain closed until the river recedes and its velocity decreases, allowing us to conduct the necessary inspections.
   "The commission is concerned that additional damage to the pier may be present below the surface. The visibility and height of the river make that impossible to determine at this time. Once the water level has receded and the high velocity of the currents has subsided, the commission will conduct further inspections of the bridge to determine the need, if any, for structural repairs. If structural repairs are not required, the bridge will be reopened," he said.
   The superstructure of the bridge was built in 1904. The substructures of the bridge, including the piers, are composed of rubble stone-faced masonry, and date to 1831. The commission completed the regrouting of the joints and masonry piers of the bridge in 1995. An estimated 7,400 vehicles utilize the bridge each day.
   The commission operates seven toll and 11 vehicular and two pedestrian toll-supported (free) bridges along the Delaware River from Trenton-Morrisville to the New York border. These bridges carry more than 135 million cars and trucks each year. For more information about the commission, see: www.drjtbc.org.