Turnpike Authority Will Pay For Bloomfield Bridge Repair: Mayor

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — There’s good news and bad news about the repairs happening at the Pilch Street pedestrian bridge over the Garden State Parkway in Bloomfield.

According to municipal officials, the “extensive improvements” will take about nine weeks to complete. The project is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 25 and finish by Friday, Aug. 31.

The good news? It’s being paid for by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, town officials said.

“This repair work is being completely paid for by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which has assured us no work will be done on local roadways near this site, so this shouldn’t cause Bloomfield residents to experience any motor-vehicle traffic,” Mayor Michael Venezia said.

“Our Township Engineer Paul Lasek, has been in touch with the Turnpike Authority and the contractors, to ensure work is done on schedule and minimizes any inconvenience to residents,” Venezia added.

Lasek provided some details about the project:

“This upcoming reconstruction will involve removing and replacing the concrete deck and steel reinforcements and repainting the bridge itself. These repairs are being handled by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which identified this site as in need of improvement. Pedestrians who use this bridge will need to plan an alternate route during these repairs, which we expect to be completed by the end of August.”

The repairs are part of a larger effort by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to perform bridge deck repairs and resurfacing along the Garden State Parkway. One of the locations selected for repairs was the Pedestrian Bridge at Pilch Street between East Passaic and Broughton avenues, just south of exit 151, town officials said.

Residents with any questions about the upcoming repairs can call the Bloomfield Engineering Department at 973-680-4009.

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