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Delaware River Bridges Face Proposed Toll Increases in 2026

August 4, 2025

Toll Increase — The bridge between Columbia and Portland could see a 33 percent toll hike for E-ZPass users next year. Photo by Joe Phalon.

It could cost more to leave New Jersey next year. Coming back will still be free.

Tolls at Delaware River bridge crossings could rise as much as 67 percent for cars and 44 percent for trucks in 2026 under a proposal by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

Under what the commission describes as toll “adjustments,” the E-ZPass rate for passenger cars would increase 50 cents to $2. The toll-by-plate rate, for cars without E-ZPass, would increase $2 to $5.

The per-axle E-ZPass rate for trucks would be “adjusted” upward by $2 to $6.50, and the non-E-ZPass rate would rise $3 to $8.

“The commission announced that it is proposing a system-wide toll adjustment for 2026 that, if approved, would better enable the commission to meet rising construction industry costs,” said commission spokesperson Joe Donnelly.

Donnelly added that the higher tolls would help the agency maintain its strong credit rating, allowing for more favorable financing of infrastructure projects.

Commission Executive Director Joseph J. Resta said the toll increases are under consideration due to a decline in general fund reserves and a reduced debt service coverage ratio — two key metrics used by bond-rating firms to assess the creditworthiness of public entities.

Resta also noted that in the past five years, concrete costs have risen 46 percent and steel costs have increased 66 percent.

In North Warren, the proposed toll hikes would affect the Columbia-Portland Bridge and the Interstate 80 bridge in the Delaware Water Gap.

Six other toll bridges would see increases, including:

Milford-Montague Bridge on Route 206
Easton-Phillipsburg Bridge on Route 22
Interstate 78 Toll Bridge
New Hope-Lambertville Bridge on Route 202
Scudder Falls Bridge on Interstate 295
Trenton-Morrisville Bridge on Route 1

The commission also operates 12 non-toll bridges over the Delaware River.

All toll crossings are cashless and use E-ZPass or the toll-by-plate system, which mails bills to vehicle owners without E-ZPass transponders.

Tolls are charged only westbound, to motorists leaving New Jersey for Pennsylvania. There is no toll eastbound.

The E-ZPass system uses a transponder that transmits a signal as the vehicle passes through the toll area. The toll-by-plate system snaps photos of the license plate of cars without E-ZPass and sends a bill to the vehicle’s registered owner.

Three virtual public hearings on the proposed tolls will be scheduled. Comments can be submitted through the commission’s website, by U.S. Mail or via a recorded phone line. Details on all three methods are available at drjtbc.org.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.