Covered Bridge In Cherry Hill Will Undergo Repairs This Summer

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Efforts to restore Scarborough Bridge in Cherry Hill are underway and could happen this summer, a township spokesperson told Patch on May 20.

The structure on Covered Bridge Road is one of two covered bridges in New Jersey that vehicles still use, according to Cherry Hill resident Martha Wright.

Outgoing Cherry Hill Township spokesperson Michele Caffrey told Patch on May 20, "The township engineer is currently developing plans and specifications for this project."

The engineer will advertise for bids and present the Township Council with the best option for moving forward, she said.

"A reasonable timeframe for [the bid] award of this project would be late summer 2022," Caffrey said.

Funding for the repairs will come from "a general capital account that exists for various unanticipated projects," Caffrey said.

"There is no maximum amount the township is willing to pay for the repairs," she added. "This is not to indicate that there are unlimited resources, only to note that the municipality has a reasonable understanding of the probable costs for the project."

Wright and another Cherry Hill resident, Joanne Mitchell, pointed out that the bridge needed repairs during an April 11 township council meeting.

"Feb. 14, 2022, was the 63rd anniversary of the beautiful bridge that we love," Wright told the council. "Sadly, she's showing her age. There is rotting wood. There are rusting railings, and she is shedding shingles."

Mitchell added at the same meeting that the bridge's roof has holes and expressed concern for those who use the bridge for a variety of reasons.

"Lots of people use that bridge for wedding pictures, family reunions, picnics, barbecues, you name it," she said. "There are people down there taking pictures all the time. I know this because I live three doors away. What if ... one day it collapses with a car" on it? she asked.

Cherry Hill Mayor Susan Shin Angelo said at the meeting that the historic nature of the bridge meant that a little more behind-the-scenes work must happen before repairs can start.

"We need to make sure that [repairs] are done correctly," she said. "Therefore we need proper engineers who have the historical knowledge and the license associated with that, too."

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