When it rains, Shabakunk Creek floods and delays the work
By: Lea Kahn
The new bridge across the Shabakunk Creek on Princeton Pike is not expected to be completed much before Thanksgiving, according to Mercer County officials.
The mid-October completion date for work on the bridge, which is located near the Lawrence Shopping Center, has been delayed because of the weather, said Mercer County spokesman Eric LeBoeuf.
The contractor has been working as fast as possible, but every time it rains, the Shabakunk Creek floods and it delays the work, Mr. LeBoeuf said. Mercer County maintains the bridge.
The Thanksgiving completion date takes into account more weather-related delays, Mr. LeBoeuf said. But if the weather cooperates, the bridge reconstruction project could be completed earlier in November, he said.
Meanwhile, school district officials say they will continue to provide school buses for the 40-plus children who live south of the bridge and who normally walk to the Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School.
Princeton Pike has been closed between Darrah Lane and Slack Avenue since July. The bridge is located on the southern end of Princeton Pike, near the Lawrence Shopping Center. The bridge is being replaced because it has deteriorated over the years.
C&L Contracting Co. of Bridgewater Township was awarded a $723, 712 contract for the job by the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders in June.
The Mercer County-maintained bridge over Five Mile Run on the northern end of Princeton Pike was closed last summer for reconstruction. Mercer County officials wanted to close both bridges simultaneously, but township officials objected.