Expect traffic delays on the Delaware Memorial Bridge through Thanksgiving

Your commute might look a little different if you take the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the next few weeks.

Delaware River and Bay Authority officials announced major lanes will be closed as part of the final phase of the construction project to rehabilitate the bridge deck on the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

This two-month project is now underway and two right lanes of the New Jersey-bound span lanes will be closed to traffic and an additional third lane will be shut down occasionally during the overnight construction hours from now until just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

To accommodate traffic volumes a bypass lane has been made to divert traffic around the construction which will guide drives to the exterior lane of the Delaware-bound span. This bypass lane is only recommended for passenger cars headed for the New Jersey Turnpike.

Delaware River and Bay Authority state commercial vehicles are not permitted to use the bypass lane.

The other three remaining lanes of the Delaware-bound span will be open for southbound traffic.

“The safety of our bridge customers and on-site contractors are our highest priority and we urge motorists to be careful, stay alert in and around the construction zone and obey all posted speed limits,” Delaware River and Bay Authority Chief Engineer David A. Hoppenjans said in a statement.  “We’re coming into the final stretch of this project, and we thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding as we work as diligently as we can to wrap up this project.”

Hoppenjans said the completion of this phase is late Nov. and this deck overlay project is expected to be substantially complete.

Delaware River and Bay Authority acknowledges that even though the project was designed to minimize traffic delays, motorists may encounter them, especially during rush hour time periods.

For project updates and the latest traffic information, you can sign up for text alerts at www.bridgealerts.com.