(PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - Nov. 9, 2023) Warren County Commissioner Director Lori Ciesla and Commissioners James R. Kern III and Jason J. Sarnoski attended the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (
DRJTBC) rededication and
lighting of the Northampton Street Toll-Supported Bridge on Nov. 9, 2023. Colloquially known as the “free bridge”, the iconic bridge, completed in 1895, connects Phillipsburg, N.J. and Easton, PA.
This $15.4 million rehabilitation project began in the fall of 2021 and included the
installation of the architectural light system, new flanking slip-resistant foam-core fiber-reinforced walkway panels, steel structural repairs and repainting, replacement and upgrading of the electrical systems, replacing of roadway and sidewalk lighting, and more.
“The lighting on the Northampton Street ‘Free Bridge’ and the repairs to the bridge and pedestrian walkway are both beautiful and practical enhancements not just for the bridge but the entire area,” Commissioner Ciesla commented, adding, “This project will play a part in the revitalizing of Phillipsburg’s downtown area and hopefully help to enable Phillipsburg to become a destination for people to dine and shop like nearby Easton and Bethlehem in PA”.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission was formed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey in 1934. The Commission is a self-supporting public-service agency that receives neither federal nor state tax dollars to finance its projects or operations, which include eight toll bridges and 12 toll-supported bridges.
Warren County Commissioner James R. Kern III, Commissioner Director Lori Ciesla, and Commissioner Jason J. Sarnoski after the new lights were lit on the Northampton Street "Free Bridge" that spans the Delaware River between Phillipsburg, NJ and Easton, PA.
Warren County Commissioner James R. Kern III, Commissioner Jason J. Sarnoski, and Commissioner Director Lori Ciesla take a first stroll across the "Free Bridge" after the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission dedicated teh new lights.
Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Larry Holmes threw the switch to activate the new lights on the Northampton Street "Free Bridge" that spans the Delaware River between Phillipsburg, NJ and Easton, PA, and the Big Easy Easton Brass led attendees across the bridge at the ceremony. The lights can be set to display many different colors and patterns. The DRJTBC has a webpage with the procedures for requesting special lighting.
