The article about the Bridge Street "railroad bridge" in the May 12 edition of the Sentinel solidified my feeling that Mayor Edmund O’Brien is, at times, unconcerned about the safety of citizens. The bridge may be considered an "orphan" bridge by the borough administration, however, actual information about the bridge is well documented and on public record.
In 1933, Bridge Street, a right of way owned at the time by the County of Middlesex (the county has turned the road over to the borough in recent history) was known as "High Bridge Road."
The United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company approached the county with a plan, after changing the method of operation of its railroad. It necessitated raising the grade or elevation that carried the "High Bridge Road" over and across the property of the railroad company. The County of Middlesex agreed to permit the change in grade of the road to meet the new grade or elevation of the railroad’s "new" bridge.
As for the "bankruptcy," Mayor O’Brien mentioned the reorganization of the railroads are no longer an issue. On October 23, 1978, a deed conveying the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company’s line of railroad, known as the Penn Central New York-Philadelphia Main Line (together with all the real property in the County of Middlesex lying in, under, above, along, contiguous to, adjacent to, or connecting to such a line), was filed with the New Jersey Secretary of State. This deed was from Consolidated Rail Corp. (Conrail) to National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak). For reference, this is Document No. NJ-2D/UNJ-CRC-ATK-RP-4.
Orphan bridge? If our esteemed administration were better at keeping and researching records, they might find information to the contrary.
I urge Mayor O’Brien not to wait for a disaster that could cause major injuries or fatalities and get that bridge repaired.
Ann C. Sardone
Metuchen