Starting today, the bridge on Washington Crossing-Pennington Road over Woolsey Brook in Hopewell Township will be closed for at least three months while county crews replace it.
The structure, located between Scotch Road and Bear Tavern Road on County Route 546, is considered structurally deficient, and will be closed 24/7 as of Tuesday, Aug. 20. The county estimates the project will be completed in 93 calendar days, weather permitting.
Westbound motorists on Washington Crossing-Pennington Road will be directed to use Scotch Road, Interstate 295 and Route 29. Eastbound motorists will be directed to use Route 29, Interstate 295 and Scotch Road. Detour signs will also be posted for local traffic only on Jacobs Creek Road and Bear Tavern Road, and access for residents will be provided up to the bridge.
The existing bridge carrying Washington Crossing-Pennington Road over Woolsey Brook is a single-span structure with concrete-encased steel beams supported on full-height abutments built on spread footings. The replacement structure will be a precast concrete culvert on concrete footings, concrete wing walls, concrete bridge deck, concrete bridge approach slabs, concrete pedestals, concrete bridge pylons and 4-bar open steel bridge railings. Roadway work includes hot mix asphalt paving, new striping, new guiderail and approach guiderail systems, excavation, top-soiling, seeding and new traffic signals.
The bridge will consist of two 12-foot travel lanes, one 6-foot, and one 8-foot shoulder to accommodate future bicycle lanes. A 5-foot sidewalk will be provided on the south side. A new upgraded traffic signal will replace the existing temporary signal.
The county awarded the contract for the project to Midlantic Construction LLC of Barnegat on June 27. The company bid more than $1.76 million.
