Delaware River and Bay Authority officials reported that the Delaware Memorial Bridge registered its second consecutive year of record traffic volume in 2016 as well as the fifth consecutive year of increased traffic numbers.
For 2016, the bridge handled 17,813,664 vehicles through the southbound toll plaza, narrowly eclipsing last year’s record traffic total of 17,749,946.
“We appreciate our customers and thank them for choosing the Delaware Memorial Bridge to get to their destination,” said Vincent P. Meconi, chief operations officer for the DRBA.
Meconi said the record traffic volume on the Delaware Memorial Bridge could be attributed to a number of factors, including an improving economic climate, stable gasoline prices, and favorable weather conditions. “The Bridge experienced positive year-over-year growth in all vehicle classes,” Meconi said, “hopefully, this trend can continue for another year.”
At the same time, Meconi cautioned Delaware Memorial Bridge customers regarding the ongoing construction work related to the I-295S Reconstruction project, the installation of a new Toll System, and the Cable Dehumidification project.
Periodic lane closures are expected. “Our engineers have designed these important capital projects to minimize traffic delays to the extent possible, but we do occasionally expect them, particularly during peak travel times,” Meconi said.
