WEST WINDSOR, NJ — The Clarksville Road bridge remains on schedule to reopen with one lane of traffic before the end of 2026, West Windsor Mayor Hemant Marathe said — with state agencies and project partners working to accelerate the timeline wherever possible.
Marathe said he met Thursday with Gov. Mikie Sherrill, NJDOT Commissioner Priya Jain and NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri to discuss progress on the project, which is now advancing on two parallel tracks: repairing and reopening the existing bridge, and designing and constructing a permanent replacement.
NJDOT formally approved and signed the final structural repair plans May 22, completing the design phase. With that milestone reached, contractor Buchart Horn has moved on to preparing a Site-Specific Safety Work Plan — a document required before any construction activities can begin within or adjacent to the railroad corridor. That plan is expected to be finalized by the end of next week.
As part of the safety planning process, Buchart Horn is also evaluating interim traffic signal configurations and traffic control measures to safely manage vehicle flow during construction, in close coordination with NJDOT.
Once the safety plan is complete, NJDOT and Buchart Horn will submit it to Amtrak for review. That review is considered a critical step in the project schedule given the bridge's proximity to active rail infrastructure, and work cannot proceed to full construction implementation until it is complete.
Field fabrication of the structural steel components is already underway. A fabrication crew mobilized on-site May 18 to begin that work.
"We remain on schedule to reopen the bridge with one lane of traffic, controlled by a traffic signal, before the end of this year," Marathe said in the written update. "State agencies and project partners are doing everything possible to accelerate the timeline."
In parallel, NJDOT has already selected a design firm from among several proposals received to develop plans for a permanent replacement bridge.
"Work on this effort is also proceeding on an emergency basis," Marathe said.
No timeline for completion has been set, and updates will be shared as more information becomes available.
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