Montgomery Officials Say Route 518 Bridge Shutdown Is Unsafe

MONTGOMERY, NJ — Montgomery Township elected officials, citing safety concerns about the shutdown of the Route 518 bridge, have formalized in writing to NJDOT an urgent request to restart the work so the bridge can reopen as soon as possible.

Work on the Route 518 bridge project over the Delaware and Raritan canal near Rocky Hill was begun by the New Jersey Department of Transportation in June and then suspended in early July due to the transportation funding stalemate in Trenton. The shutdown occurred after the initial work on the bridge had rendered the bridge impassable, as it remains.

“This state of affairs is simply unacceptable and poses safety risks to our residents and the residents of neighboring towns,” said Mayor Patricia Graham.

“With the bridge out there are increased response times for emergency responders, increased traffic throughout Montgomery and increased motor vehicle incidents, particularly at the Griggstown Causeway. All these problems will be exacerbated if the 518 bridge is not repaired before the start of school in September, when traffic in town is expected to increase by a third.”

This state bridge improvement project had been on schedule for a 30-day closure to end on August 5. But with the shutdown, it is uncertain when the work will be resumed and completed.

On Thursday, July 21, the Montgomery Township Committee passed a resolution calling for the immediate restart of the Rt. 518 bridge work as an “essential” project. Mayor Graham sent a letter to NJDOT Acting Commissioner Richard Hammer along with the resolution urging that the bridge project be added to a limited list of state projects that cannot be suspended due to public health and safety concerns.

Among concerns cited is that the bridge closure significantly increased emergency response times. The University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (UMCPP) is the primary hospital for this area. Located along Rt. 1, a crossing of the D&R Canal by emergency response vehicles is necessary to reach the hospital from Montgomery and Rocky Hill.

According to the letter and resolution, Rocky Hill and Montgomery First Aid Squads must add 9-25 minutes per call (depending on time of day) to reach UMCPP and even more time if it is a trauma requiring transport to RWJ Hospital in New Brunswick.

Officials and Police in Rocky Hill and Franklin have also been petitioning the DOT on the matter. Somerset County Freeholders are also working closely with state legislators on behalf of the local municipalities.

For questions or concerns related to the bridge project, the public may contact NJDOT Office of Communications Regional Manager Meredith Hammond at (609) 530-2110 or meredith.hammond@dot.state.nj.us

- By Tamara D. Garaffa

(Image via Shutterstock)

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