Ida Damaged Route 22 Ramp Expected To Reopen Early Next Year In Bridgewater

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Months after Hurricane Ida demolished the bridge carrying Route 22 east over Middle Brook in Bridgewater, emergency repairs will continue into 2022.

On Sept. 1, floodwaters from the Middle Brook river rushed over and below Route 22 near Thompson Avenue causing a retaining wall collapse and destabilization of the roadway, including damage to utility poles and a sanitary sewer main.

Since then the New Jersey Department of Transportation has been building a new retaining wall on the southwest corner of the Route 22 Bridge over Middle Brook, which is nearly complete, according to NJDOT Spokesman Stephen Schapiro.

As a result of the emergency repairs, the ramp from Chimney Rock Road to Route 22 East has been closed for the past three months. Read More: Route 22 Emergency Repairs To Continue For Next Few Months

There is some good news, Schapiro hopes to have the ramp open early next year.

"Once the wall is finished, we will restore the roadway back to its original condition by completing the roadway approach slabs to the bridge and installing barrier curb so the ramp can be reopened to traffic," said Schapiro.

The retaining wall repair is the first phase of the project.

During the second phase, precast aesthetic panels will be installed on the retaining wall. These panels are decorative and not structural, said Schapiro.

The second phase will also include the installation of scour countermeasures at the base of the wall and downstream at the culvert. These countermeasures will help prevent erosion.

The final piece of the repair includes the installation of curbing, sidewalk, parapet and fence.

"Phase 2 is still in design and is expected to begin in the spring 2022," said Schapiro.

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