The project could be completed by next summer
Township Council unanimously endorsed Mercer County’s plan to replace the 105-year-old Fackler Road bridge, off Route 206 near Carter Road, at its conference meeting this week.
By: Lea Kahn
The metal truss bridge has been closed to traffic since 1999. The bridge, built in 1896, spans the Shipetaukin Creek. Fackler Road connects Route 206 and Princeton Pike.
But if all goes well and there are no snags along the way, a new bridge could be in place as early as next summer, said Mercer County spokesman Eric LeBoeuf.
The Fackler Road bridge was heavily damaged in 1998 when the driver of a pickup truck lost control of his vehicle and struck the side of the bridge. It was closed for repairs and then reopened, but the state Department of Transportation ordered it closed in 1999 following a second accident.
Mercer County officials spent months mulling over their options either to replace the damaged bridge or realign Fackler Road so that a bridge would not be needed. But those options were complicated by the fact that the bridge is located inside the Main Street Historic District, which is listed on the state and national Registers of Historic Places.
This month, the Mercer County Bridge Engineering Department completed a study of the bridge that recommends replacing the metal truss span. Fackler Road, approaching the bridge from Princeton Pike, will be realigned slightly to soften the curve leading to the bridge.
The replacement project for the county-owned-and-maintained bridge will cost an estimated $350,000, according to the report.
The bridge is important for ambulances and fire engines, as well as for the general public, according to the Mercer County report. School buses have had to take longer routes since the bridge has been closed.
Mercer County officials had considered several alternatives in the study, including allowing the bridge to remain closed. A realigned roadway was considered, but the state Department of Transportation rejected it, according to the county report.
The county report also considered rehabilitating the bridge because of its historic nature, but that option was rejected. Rehabilitation would destroy any remaining historic characteristics of the bridge, the report said, adding that the existing structure is not remotely original.
Replacing the bridge with a new structure on essentially the same, but improved, alignment is the recommendation. The new bridge will be built to withstand up to 40 tons of weight on it, and it also will include a sidewalk.
The new bridge will consist of two 12-foot travel lanes, two 6-foot shoulders and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk. The new bridge will provide proper safety features, the report said.
Mercer County officials plan to submit an application outlining the proposed new bridge to the State Historic Preservation Office by March 22, Mr. LeBoeuf said.
If the State Historic Preservation Office likes what it sees, then the plan will be sent to the state Historic Sites Preservation Council, he said. And if the Historic Sites Preservation Council approves it, the county can seek the required permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Once the DEP issues the permits, county officials can seek bids, Mr. LeBoeuf said. Under the best-case scenario, the county could award a contract in late fall or early winter, he said. The bridge could be completed by next summer.