Two engineering firms have been appointed to perform non-destructive testing (NDT) on critical pin connections across six bridges managed by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The programme follows the discovery of a severely deteriorated steel pin on the 121-year-old New Hope–Lambertville Free Bridge, a pratt-truss crossing between Solebury, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, New Jersey. The compromised pin, measuring 10cm in diameter and 45cm in length, had gone undetected during routine inspections because it was concealed by spacers that disintegrated during paint-blasting work. At risk of failure under heavy loads, the bridge was closed for several weeks early this year for emergency replacement.
Although the Commission conducts biennial inspections under Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inspection Standards, ultrasonic testing is not required by these regulations. The new initiative aims to establish baseline data for future comparisons to identify deterioration or damage.
Pennoni Associates has secured a contract worth up to US$1.08 million to test pins on the Calhoun Street Toll-Supported Bridge, an 1884 wrought-iron truss structure linking Trenton, New Jersey, and Morrisville, Pennsylvania, which contains 252 truss pins. The firm will also examine all 16 hanger pins on the New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge, a 1971 steel plate-girder crossing, and eight anchorage pins on the Lumberville–Raven Rock Pedestrian Bridge, a 1947 five-span suspension bridge, both structures connecting Solebury in Pennsylvania with Delaware in New Jersey.
A second contract, valued at up to US$873,488, has been awarded to Modjeski and Masters for testing at three bridges in the Commission’s central service region. These include the Riegelsville Toll-Supported Bridge, a 1904 suspension structure spanning the Delaware River between Riegelsville Borough in Pennsylvania and the Pohatcong Township in New Jersey, which contains approximately eight cable pins and 162 suspension rod pins. Also included is the Northampton Street Toll-Supported Bridge, an 1895–96 steel cantilever truss crossing that links downtown Easton in Pennsylvania with Phillipsburg in New Jersey and features about 98 truss pins. The third is the Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge, a 1938 steel truss structure connecting Easton’s riverfront in Pennsylvania with the central business district of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and incorporating around 74 truss pins.
Testing is scheduled to begin in early 2026, starting with the New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge in February, with other bridges to follow once winter conditions ease.
