Summary
The commission heard an engineering progress update (about 35% complete) and a traffic study recommending options including lane reconfiguration and license-plate systems; commissioners asked for more detail before construction bidding and possible county coordination.
The commission received a progress update from its engineering team and a traffic study that identifies options to reduce congestion when the free bridge is closed.
Engineering status: Township Manager Derek Thiel said H and H has completed roughly 35% of preliminary engineering and is advancing permit coordination, environmental reviews and design work. “They have 35% of the bridge design completed,” Thiel said. The township has not yet bonded for construction; current bond proceeds were used to cover purchase and engineering work, and construction bonding will follow after bids are received.
Traffic study and operational options: Clark Dietz performed a traffic study at H and H’s request that examined traffic backups during the most recent free-bridge closure. The study offered several possible measures to reduce congestion when the free bridge is unavailable, including: - temporary lane‑reconfiguration and signalized control during closures; - lane‑widening or roadway reconstruction in the toll‑plaza area during planned capital work; and - automated plate‑reader systems for backoffice billing to keep lanes moving.
Costs and operational constraints: commissioners flagged practical and financial constraints. One commissioner said a license‑plate reader system would cost “about a million $2.50, about $1,250,000 for the system,” and noted back‑office billing and collections create ongoing costs and unpaid bill risks. Operations Manager Maureen Farrell and other staff also said current operations often require staff to sort vehicles by weight and axle configuration; staff said machine-only solutions would not immediately replace human decisions required to enforce weight restrictions.
Timing and next steps: commissioners asked H and H for more detailed, on‑plan drawings showing proposed lane geometries and percent-complete updates on critical path items (for example, environmental approvals and utility coordination). Thiel said some construction proposals foresee a complete closure of the bridge for major work and that contractors’ bids will determine the scope and schedule of capital bonding. Commissioners asked staff to request that H and H provide status (percent complete) on items that the commission had flagged as time‑sensitive and to schedule an appearance by the engineering team at a future commission meeting when that level of detail is available.
County coordination and closure sequencing: the commission also discussed coordination with county bridge work; Thiel said county officials had agreed to avoid simultaneous full closures of both bridges but that emergency closures could still occur. The commission agreed the design and traffic‑flow decisions should be resolved prior to final construction bids so needed roadway modifications can be included in the capital work while the bridge is closed.
