County Eyes November Opening of Newburgh Road Bridge

The holiday season may come a few weeks early for motorists who use – or miss using – Newburgh Road connecting Washington Township and Mansfield Township.

A bridge spanning the Musconetcong River that connects Morris and Warren counties has been closed since late June for a complete replacement project, and while the original schedule had the passageway closed through early 2015, engineers say the timetable has been shortened, and drastically.

Save for any extreme weather occurrences (Washington Township has fallen victim to a hurricane and blizzard in two consecutive Octobers in the past four years), the bridge could be driven on by late November, said Brian Caruso of the department of Morris County Engineering.

“We’re looking at late November, maybe early December,” Caruso told Patch Friday. “The [support] beams are in place and once the deck is poured, we have to wait 28 days. But during that time [the contractor] can pave the approach roads, work on landscaping, and so on.”

That’s all weather dependent, of course.

Konkus Corporation, of Somerville, began work in June after years of delays for the bridge replacement. The original bridge was built in 1908 as a two-span, steel stringer bridge and was deemed structurally deficient half a decade ago.

The new bridge will span 69 feet, six inches in length and slightly more than 50 feet wide, including a sidewalk and rails. The two lanes will take up 41 feet in width, as opposed to the old structure that was just 20 feet, causing one-way traffic to pass through.

“We definitely think this can be complete in November,” Caruso asserted.

How has the road closure impacted you? Is it a bother, or have you become used to it? Have you avoided the area since June?