Friday, March 17, 2017

Could Newark's Central Avenue Bridge Be Replaced?


Newark, New Jersey: Changes could be coming to a Newark bridge that is crossed over or under by thousands of commuters daily.

According to a legal notice, the City of Newark, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the New Jersey Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration are conducting a Local Concept Development Study regarding the bridge that carries Central Avenue over the Newark Light Rail at the corner of Hudson Street, just west of the Norfolk Street Station. The bridge reportedly dates to 1908, and originally crossed over the Morris Canal, which was later drained and converted into the Newark City Subway, known today as the Newark Light Rail. 

As the structure nears 110 years of serving Newarkers, officials are seeking residents' input regarding its future. A website created regarding the study, CentralAvenueBridge.com, states that that bridge "is experiencing a number of simultaneous and pressing safety concerns due to degraded and obsolete infrastructure," and that the "most recent Bridge Re-Evaluation Report identified a number of safety concerns related to the deck, superstructure and substructure of the bridge," rating its condition as serious and its physical condition to be poor. Because of this, several possible options for addressing these concerns, including "a 'no-build' or 'do nothing' alternative," a "major rehabilitation of the bridge," and "bridge replacement" will be studied.

A public meeting and presentation will be held on Monday, March 20th from 4:00pm to 7:00pm in Room 240 of the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Campus Center, located at 154 Summit Street, in order to gather public input and provide information, according to the NJTPA. An online survey has also been created to gather community input.

Studies are also being conducted regarding the Bridge Street Bridge connecting Newark with Harrison, Hudson County and the Kingsland Avenue Bridge connecting Nutley with Lyndhurst, Bergen County.

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