Clarksville Road Bridge Update

West Windsor residents,

As you know, the Clarksville Road bridge closure is a major issue in our community. As a historical “orphan” bridge not owned by either West Windsor or Mercer County, the bridge falls under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJ DOT). Our goal since the closure has been to have a temporary replacement in operation as soon as possible while a new bridge is designed and built.

Since the recent appointment of NJ DOT Commissioner Priya Jain, the necessary engineering analysis for a temporary solution has moved at a much faster pace. Commissioner Jain has made this a top priority and approved overtime and weekend work for staff and consultants. The result is a major update with a clear plan to move forward.

Commissioner Jain and her staff walked the bridge with me on Monday, May 10th. On May 11th, her team came to the township to present their analysis and possible options to repair the bridge. The team included managers from every area responsible for the successful opening of the bridge. The aim has always been to reopen the bridge as quickly as possible, even if initially in limited capacity.

As we already knew, the bridge is in very poor condition. Opening it to full capacity would take significant time. Therefore, NJ DOT’s recommendation is to temporarily fix the bridge as a one-lane structure, controlled by traffic lights on either side, allowing vehicles to travel one direction at a time. After discussions with township and county engineers, we believe this is a prudent approach and have agreed to it in order to reopen the bridge as quickly as possible.

Because the bridge runs over Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor train lines with high-voltage electric lines, NJ DOT must coordinate closely with Amtrak to perform the work. Work cannot safely occur while Amtrak and NJ Transit trains are running. NJ DOT has already arranged line outages during the wee hours of the night and on weekends for the work to take place. Contractors are lined up, and materials procurement is underway. The team is working on multiple aspects in parallel to expedite the project.

Given the complexity of the project and constraints beyond their control, NJ DOT is hesitant to provide a firm timeline. When pressed, they expect the temporary repair to take about nine months, though they are making every effort to accelerate it.

Having spoken with Commissioner Jain, her chief of staff, and the project engineers, I am confident that this project is a high priority for NJ DOT and that the timeline is reasonable. They will keep me updated on progress, and I will provide updates to the community periodically.

Please note, this is a temporary repair. NJ DOT is concurrently working on plans for a permanent replacement bridge and has already received several proposals, which are currently being evaluated. I will provide more details as they become available.

I would like to thank the community members who signed petitions, emailed, and called elected representatives. I also thank the West Windsor Council, particularly Sonia Gawas, Andrea Mandel, and Joe Charles, for their relentless efforts to reach media, legislative representatives, and support local businesses affected by the closure. I am hopeful their advocacy will bear some fruit for those businesses.

I understand that each day the bridge is closed is a burden on residents, emergency services, and local businesses. However, I now see light at the end of the tunnel, with a partner in NJ DOT who has made this bridge a priority. Thank you, Commissioner Jain and your team, for your urgent focus on this issue.

Thank you, everyone, for your patience.

Mayor Hemant Marathe

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