Home Care In Washington Crossing, PA

WASHINGTON CROSSING — The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is considering the possible replacement of the 119-year-old Washington Crossing Toll-Supported Bridge.

The commission earlier this year posted a request for proposals (RFP) to procure a consulting team that would conduct a multi-year environmental review process identifying and examining numerous issues and hurdles before a new bridge could be designed and built.

The commission in mid-January hosted a forum with interested consulting firms. This first-step procurement process is anticipated to end with the award of a contract to the most responsive consulting team at the commission’s June meeting.

The current Washington Crossing Bridge has been a bane to generations of motorists, said the commission in a news release announcing the potential future replacement of the bridge.

According to the commission, it is the narrowest of its 18 vehicular bridges, with a 15-foot-wide roadway that often forces motorists to a crawl in 7.5-foot-wide lanes - one in each direction. In comparison, the width of an interstate highway travel lane is 12 feet.

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Minor fender-bender-type incidents and broken sideview mirrors are frequently reported at the bridge, which pre-dates mass-production of automobiles and was constructed in 1904-05 for a locally owned cash-strapped private company that charged tolls to cross it in either direction by horse, vehicle, or on foot.

The bridge has been publicly-owned and operated without a toll since 1922. The Commission has owned the bridge since July 1, 1987.

The RFP states that the bridge’s steel through-truss superstructure “has experienced structural deterioration and does not meet current design standards, which creates reliability and safety concerns.” The commission has reached the point where it is considering replacing the bridge.

The major task to be completed under the pending RFP is to advance a potential bridge replacement through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and preliminary engineering. The Federal Highway Administration says NEPA mandates that agencies “consider the potential environmental consequences of their proposals, document analysis and make this information available to the public for comment prior to implementation.”

The commission’s ultimate objective with the NEPA process would be the acquisition of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from an applicable lead federal oversight agency. Should a FONSI be issued, the commission could then advance a potential replacement bridge from concept to actual design and construction. In addition to environmental considerations, the NEPA process would also examine other potential issues such as impacts to recreation, cultural history, and communities.

According to the commission, the underlying goal of the process is to improve mobility and provide a safe and reliable river crossing for vehicles and pedestrians.

Environmental considerations would include preservation of the quality of the existing Delaware River habitat and its associated resources, including wetlands, threatened and endangered plant and animal species, and aquatic life.

Cultural and historic stakeholder goals would include minimizing historical impacts wherever possible and implementing context-sensitive design solutions. Community goals include maintaining the charming small town and historical environment of the surrounding areas.

According to the RFP, the goal of the environmental review process would be to obtain a FONSI within 30 months (2-1/2 years) after the consulting team is brought on board and given direction to proceed. A 30-month time frame conceivably would take until 2027 before the commission would initiate permit acquisition, design, etc. for a proposed replacement bridge.

In addition to analyzing a range of replacement alternatives, the NEPA process is to also examine a "No-Build" alternative (the option of not replacing the bridge).

The NEPA process would involve research, deliberation, consultation, and the completion of a lengthy report to be issued for public review and hearings. The RFP anticipates that an Environmental Assessment (EA) document would be the type of report needed for the proposed bridge replacement.

The current steel, double-Warren-truss Washington Crossing Bridge opened to traffic April 11, 1905. It was constructed by the long defunct New Jersey Bridge Company of Manasquan, N.J. The bridge’s original owners were the Taylorsville Delaware Bridge Company, which was established in 1831, and a newer companion Washington Crossing Bridge Company, which was formed in 1904 to raise the additional capital that was needed to build the current bridge.

The bridge replaced a former wooden covered bridge that was destroyed during the “Pumpkin Flood” of October 1903. The first wooden bridge at the location was constructed in 1833-34 and opened as a tolled crossing on January 1, 1835.

The current steel bridge has been rehabilitated multiple times over the past 12 decades. The bridge carried an average of 7,200 vehicles per day in 2023. Its highest usage years were 2013 and 2016 when the bridge handled an average 7,500 vehicle per day.

The bridge has a three-ton weight restriction, enforced by bridge monitors stationed 24/7 at a shelter on the bridge’s New Jersey approach. More than 2,000 oversized vehicles were turned away at the bridge in 2023.

A toll-supported bridge is free for the public’s use, but the cost of operating and maintaining the bridge is funded by a portion of the tolls collected at the commission’s eight toll bridges.

Oh boy, this will be a major project.

Mercer Me is reporting there are plans to completely replace the Washington Crossing Bridge, which connects New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

I know what you're thinking. This is going to snarl traffic in that area for a long time. But, I think you'd also agree that this is a good idea, as the bridge doesn't appear to be in the best shape.

Look at how narrow it is. I have to admit, I don't like driving over it. One of my friends calls it the "pull in your mirrors bridge."

The last time the bridge was inspected was back in 2020 and it only received a "fair" grade. It certainly hasn't gotten better since then, so this is a much-needed replacement.

Many locals still use the bridge to save money because there is no toll, so it needs to be safe, obviously.

The historic bridge is owned and run by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The group recently put together an RFP (Request for Proposals) for this huge undertaking.

It read in part, "In accordance with its mission to provide safe and efficient river crossings between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, The Commission desires to proceed with the replacement of the WCTSB to address operational and safety issues."

The plan is to make the bridge wider (thank goodness), add shoulders, and a wider bike/pedestrian lane. For more details on the new, proposed bridge, click here.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is looking to make a fairly quick decision on who will take on this project giving a "Notice of Award" date of May 28, 2024.

No word on how long this project will take because it's just in the planning phase.

To look at the entire Mercer Me article, click here.

NJ company layoffs announced in 2024

New Jersey saw over 14,000 total layoffs in 2023, according to WARN data. By late February, there were 11 different notices of layoffs — including three company cutting 80 or more positions in NJ.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

New Jersey's St. Patrick's Day Parades 2024 (by date)

It's the marching of the green as St. Patrick's Day parades step off all over New Jersey. Dates are subject to change without notice.

Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander

New Jersey expects to start prep work this month on a new $14 million visitor center for Washington Crossing State Park that would be built into the landscape overlooking the Delaware River and feature a green roof and multipurpose theater.

The new visitor center, designed with the shape of a leaf as inspiration, will be in a location chosen to be closer to an overlook of the river into Pennsylvania. State officials have not announced plans for what will happen to the existing visitor center and museum, with its peeling exterior paint and displays dating to the Bicentennial in 1976.

The new center is one of the projects the state plans to complete for the U.S. Semiquincentennial, which will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 2026.

Washington Crossing State Park spans more than 3,500 acres of Mercer and Hunterdon Counties. The current visitor center and museum is about eight miles north of Trenton, and across the river from the village of Washington Crossing in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County.

The area was notable in colonial times because of a ferry crossing between New Jersey and Pennsylvania that dated to about 1700.

Gen. George Washington chose the location because he believed it would allow his troops to cross the river without detection. As Revolutionary War battled raged across New Jersey, Washington crossed his army safely in Pennsylvania toward the end of 1776, less than half a year after America had declared its independence.

By December, the British, which safely controlled New York, had abandoned their pursuit of the Continental Army and settled into winter quarters.

Washington looked to launch a surprise attack the day after Christmas at Trenton, where the British had a garrison of 1,400 Hessian mercenaries from Germany. The attack presented severe logistical problems as Washington sought to cross three divisions of the Continental Army and land at three separate locations.

About 6 p.m. Christmas Day, 2,400 men began crossing in Durham boats developed to carry iron ore. A storm and icy river made the crossing treacherous. Artillery and horses were put on ferries. Two of the crossings failed because conditions were so poor. But Washington and his troops succeeded, as depicted in the famous painting by Emanuel Leutze.

At 4 the next morning, Washington’s Army marched toward Trenton, catching the Hessians off guard and forcing 900 of them to surrender. The victory was a tremendous boost to American forces, which had been stung by a series of defeats.

The sprawling park that commemorates the attack draws about 444,373 visitors last year.

Caryn Shinske, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the state park service, said the current building has “outlived its useful life, and historic collections have outgrown the available exhibit space.”

Ikon 5 Architects of New York designed the new center with input from state staff, Shinske said. State officials took comments from the public and met with the Washington Crossing Park Association, Swan Foundation and the Historic Sites Council. Staff was also consulted with at other Revolutionary War historic sites such as Yorktown, Mount Vernon, and the Museum of the American Revolution.

The nonprofits Crossroads of the American Revolution and American Battlefield Trust supported the design and new location of the center.

The main funding comes from the state’s constitutionally dedicated Corporate Business Tax revenue. Additional money, directed under the administration of Gov. Phil Murphy, came from the American Rescue Plan for projects in support of the Semiquincentennial.

Workers will begin preparing the new site this month. Once the new visitor center is built, the existing center will be closed and its contents moved to the new building.

Construction bids for the new center are due March 26, 2024.

Officials say a highlight of the new center will be the Crossing Theater, described as “an immersive experience where visitors will stand on a ferry boat with video reenactment of the crossing of the Delaware River playing on the exhibit walls.” The new center will include a separate 125-seat multipurpose theater, a gallery for temporary exhibits, a welcome lobby and a covered outdoor terrace.

The Second Annual "Washington's Landing in New Jersey" takes place on December 10 on the New Jersey side of the river.

Patch Staff

TITUSVILLE, N.J. — Can you imagine rowing through ice floes and then trudging 10 miles through a blizzard in the middle of the night — and your destination is a battle to decide the fate of your country?

The paintings that show General Washington crossing the Delaware on that snowy Christmas night in 1776 have forever caught the imagination of the public — so much so that reenactments in Pennsylvania attract thousands of visitors each year.

But what happened once the troops landed in New Jersey?

On Dec. 10 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the public is invited to join New Jersey State Park historians, the Washington Crossing Park Association, the First Rhode Island Regiment, and other New Jersey-based reenactor groups who will offer the public an opportunity to experience both the crossing and the March to Trenton through the eyes of the men and women who lived it.

“Washington’s Landing in New Jersey,” which takes place on the same day as the crossing rehearsal on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware, will unfold at the New Jersey park’s “Overlook,” next to the historic Johnson Ferry House, with a view of the river below.

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The troops land on the New Jersey side of the Delaware. (Contributed)

Reenactors will patrol the lower park and encourage visitors to undertake a brief “march” — led by Ronald Rinaldi as General Nathaneal Greene — over the park’s pedestrian bridge and up to its overlook to be met with cozy fires, hot cider, and skilled reenactors who will regale them with tales of the history that took place in Mercer County.

New Jersey historians will narrate the Crossing rehearsal in real time, and special efforts will be made to engage the youngest visitors in hopes of sparking their interest in New Jersey history.

The encampment at the park's overlook will be anchored by members of the First Rhode Island Regiment, who made history as the first African American colonial reenacting unit hosting an event in a New Jersey State Park. Members of the First Rhode Island will portray the roles of black soldiers, sailors, artillerists, marines and musicians. They will be supported by members from the Northampton County Militia, Lamb's Artillery, Lt. Trevett's Company of Marines, and the New Jersey 3rd Regiment (New Jersey Greys).

This year the reenactors will be joined by the New Jersey Fifes and Drums.

Just beyond the encampment will be a Haybale Theater where historians Leslie Brammet and Larry Kidder will speak on the contributions of New Jersey families, including women, soldiers, farmers, and African Americans both free and enslaved.

The park’s stone barn will feature an exhibit entitled, “Oh Freedom,” which chronicles the contributions of African Americans in the Revolution, as well as the Park’s large Crossing Diorama.

The Johnson Ferry House, the only remaining structure from the 1776 Christmas Crossing. (Contributed)

Visitors will also be welcomed at the nearby Johnson Ferry House (the only remaining witness structure from the 1776 Crossing) where park historian Nancy Ceperly and her crew of volunteers will give tours, answer questions, and serve free hot cider to visitors.

A food truck will be on site, with both breakfast and lunch dishes available for sale.

Entrance is free, although a suggested donation of $10 per car is requested to help cover costs.

The event is supported by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The program is also made possible in part by the Mercer County Division of Culture & Heritage through funding from the New Jersey Historical Commission. It is further supported by generous sponsorships from the Swan Historical Foundation, the Sons of the Revolution in the State of NJ, author Salina B Baker, NJM Insurance, Northfield Bank, and the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of NJ.

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WASHINGTON CROSSING, PA — The Friends of Washington Crossing Park have been awarded a $51,000 grant from the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.

With the funding, the Friends organization has hired a new staff member - Alex Robb - as a full-time interpretive programs specialist to assist with the design and implementation of new educational programs that will highlight the park’s unique military history as the organization prepares for the upcoming Semiquincentennial celebration in 2026.

Robb has always been interested in history, which isn't surprising since his mom is a history teacher and his grandfather used to take him to reenactments and historical sites.

In 2021, Robb graduated from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) with a bachelor’s degree in history and education. He has been a historical reenactor for the past six years, participating in programs at Washington Crossing Historic Park on a volunteer basis.

In addition to the annual crossing reenactments, Robb has helped with the site’s annual Memorial Day Program and field trip programs. He also works with his local historical society in Hamilton Township, New Jersey as a trustee.

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Much of Robb’s new role will focus on designing and expanding interpretive programs for both the general public and school students. Each year the park hosts just under 10,000 school-aged children from more than 150 local schools.

“Something I’d love to work on is bringing our programs to schools," said Robb. "There are a lot of schools that struggle with budgets and getting kids out of the classroom, so I would love to be able to bring the park to schools. I would also love to come up with programs for different age ranges and incorporate what teachers are trying to get out of their lessons.”

What makes Alex the most excited about this job is being able to share knowledge with people. “I have a degree in education and taught for a little while in a K-12 system, so I really like talking with people of all ages from different backgrounds about their interest in the Revolution. Whether it’s The Crossing or not, I like regularly making those types of connections when people are excited or surprised by what they’re learning. Reenacting isn’t just firing a musket, it’s engaging with the public by hearing their questions, sharing experiences, and seeing their reactions," said Alex.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, Connelly Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and Neubauer Family Foundation formed the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial. They made grants available to Philadelphia-area nonprofits for planning and programs in 2026, which is when the United States will observe its 250th birthday.

All grants made by the Funder Collaborative are paid from a Donor Advised Fund established at the National Philanthropic Trust. Christopher Levenick of the Connelly Foundation, as administrator of the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, stated, “It is our pleasure and our privilege to support planning for the 250th anniversary of Washington’s Crossing.”

The grant is the latest in a series of monetary awards secured by the Friends. The Friends previously won grants from the National Park Service for the rehabilitation of the McConkey Ferry Inn and one from the Bucks County Tourism Grant Program to market and enhance programming surrounding the Crossing reenactments.

In partnership with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the non-profit Friends of Washington Crossing Park offers guided interpretive tours, educational programming, and annual events at Washington Crossing Historic Park.

The park shares the powerful story of General George Washington’s daring crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Night 1776 and interprets its ongoing impact on world history for both today’s citizens and future generations. 2026 also marks the historic 250th anniversary of Washington’s Crossing and FWCP continues to prepare for the upcoming Semiquincentennial celebration.