scudder falls bridge

TOLLROADSnews has come into possession of a recording of a recent telephone conversation between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (CC) and Frank McCartney (FMcC), executive director of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission on the matter of a public private partnership (P3) to revamp the Scudder Falls Bridge on I-95 near Trenton. A guy with a Cockney accent called: "just hunred poonds, mighty cheap it is."

A traffic and revenue report puts potential toll revenues on the proposed new Scudder Falls bridge near Trenton NJ - the subject of a P3 or private concession procurement - in the range of $22m and $35m/year. If operating costs are a quarter to a third of this then net revenues would be $16m to $24m/year. That's a 5% to 8% return on investment. Little growth is projected.

A private concessionaire is almost certain to be sought now for a new bridge over the Delaware River at Scudder Falls a few miles upriver of Trenton NJ. The river is the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) officials are proposing to replace the present old, inadequate and untolled I-95 bridge at Scudder Falls near Trenton NJ with a larger, new toll bridge to cost an estimated $310m. A Commission spokesman says toll financing of the new Scudder Falls bridge is the only feasible source of funds and it is fair given tolls on bridges on I-78, I-80, and US1 and on the New Jersey Turnpike.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) say they've had a peregrine falcon produce a chick in a nest in the underneath steelwork of their I-95 Scudder Falls Bridge. Once a seriously endangered species peregrine falcons are still rare with only 24 known nesting pairs in Pennsylvania.