Delaware River Bridge, connecting Pa. and NJ turnpikes, closed until at least April

Turnpike officials say the Delaware River Bridge is expected to remain closed for repairs for at least two more months.

BRISTOL, Pa. (WPVI) -- Pennsylvania Turnpike officials say the Delaware River Bridge, which links the Pa. and New Jersey turnpikes, is expected to remain closed for repairs for at least two more months.

And they are still trying to determine why one of its steel trusses fractured.
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The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said Friday evening that the Interstate 276 span over the Delaware River could reopen in early April if a repair plan goes smoothly.

In a statement, they called it a "best case scenario."

Pictured: The crack in the Delaware River Bridge connecting the Pennsylvania and New Jersey turnpikes (Released by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission).none

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said work was being done to stabilize the Interstate 276 bridge, which links Bristol in Bucks County to Burlington Township in New Jersey.none

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"We recognize that those who travel through, live, or work in this region have been considerably inconvenienced by this closure, and we are as excited as anyone to see it reopen," said PA Turnpike Chairman Sean Logan.

"But please remember, this is an emergency situation; we're working around the clock to resolve it. It would be reckless to put a single vehicle back onto this structure before we trust its stability."

The 1.2-mile bridge is jointly owned by Pennsylvania and New Jersey and typically handles 42,000 vehicles a day. It was closed down on Jan. 20 after workers found a crack in a truss under a travel lane on the Pennsylvania side.

Engineers plan to jack up the bridge and make a permanent slice, while checking to see if any other parts of the structure were damaged.

Delaware River Bridge closed until at least April