MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) – The 118-year-old Mendham Road bridge in Morris Township, which runs over a tributary of the Whippany River, will be replaced by Morris County in a project that will require closing the road and detouring traffic for at least several days in July.
The bridge, located on Mendham Road or County Route 510, is expected to be closed from July 8 to July 12, with a 3.5 mile detour set up on Washington Valley Road to Whitehead Road to Mendham Road.
The contractor for the $1.62 million county funded project is Konkus Corporation of Chester.
“We realize this is a heavily traveled road and closing the bridge will cause an inconvenience for many drivers, but it is vital to make sure we replace this bridge and ensure that we have a safe structure for our county residents,’’ said Freeholder John Cesaro, the county governing board’s liaison on road and bridge issues.
“This is also being done right after Fourth of July weekend, when many people are away and traffic should be lighter than usual,’’ he added.
Mendham Road Bridge was built in 1898 and was widened in 1950. It is a single span structure with steel stringers and a reinforced arch deck with masonry stone substructures.
The existing structure length is 13 feet and 49 feet width. The average daily traffic is approximately 17,000 vehicles.
The structure has rust and section loss of the steel stringers with cracks throughout the asphalt roadway. There is undermining of the foundations.
The new structure will be a precast concrete arch. The bridge parapets will be stone faced with a bluestone coping and also the substructure will be stone faced.
The roadway curb-to-curb width will be approximately 46 feet and the overall structure width will be 49 feet.
