Bridge Over D&R Canal Closes For Emergency Repairs In Somerset County

FRANKLIN, NJ — A bridge carrying Blackwells Mills Road over the D&R Canal in Franklin closed at about 10 a.m. Thursday for emergency repairs to the timber deck, said the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Work is expected to be completed overnight, with the bridge scheduled to reopen Friday morning.

The closure affects the canal bridge on Blackwells Mills Road, which carries traffic between Franklin and Hillsborough.

Blackwells Mills Road crosses two separate bridges in the area, one over the D&R Canal and another over the Millstone River. The notice states that only the bridge over the canal requires repairs.

Drivers heading eastbound on Blackwells Mills Road from River Road are being detoured north on River Road, then right onto Amwell Road, also identified as County Route 514.

From there, motorists are directed to turn right onto Market Street, which becomes Canal Road, and then turn left onto Blackwells Mills Road eastbound.

For westbound traffic, motorists on Blackwells Mills Road are being directed to turn right onto Canal Road, then left onto Amwell Road, also marked as County Route 514.

The detour then sends drivers left onto Main Street, identified as County Route 533, which becomes River Road and connects back to Blackwells Mills Road.

The two bridges on Blackwells Mills Road each carry one lane in each direction, according to the NJDOT.

While traffic over the Millstone River bridge is not part of the repair work, drivers in the area may still see delays as traffic is redirected around the canal crossing.

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