Rains force delay in bridge repair

Temporary roadway too low to assure

officials of access in event of flooding
By:Roger Alvarado
   Wary borough officials watched water levels in the Millstone and Raritan rivers rise during last weekend’s heavy rain, which washed away the state’s schedule for replacing the Bridge Street bridge.
   A temporary bridge erected at the west end of Lincoln Avenue to South Main Street, designed to divert traffic while a $4 million project to repair the aging Bridge Street bridge is under way, was flooded.
   With the temporary road flooded, and Bridge Street closed for the pending work, the only way to get in and out of the Lost Valley area was through the Kyle Street tunnel — which is too small for ambulances or fire trucks in the event of an emergency.
   Consequently, Bridge Street was reopened Sunday and according to Mayor Angelo Corradino, will remain open until a decision on how to properly address the situation is made.
   "We’ve told them not to close the Bridge Street Bridge until they find a way to raise the temporary bridge above any type of flood stage," Mayor Corradino said.
   Work on replacing the aging Bridge Street Bridge will now be put on hold.
   "The approach to the temporary bridge was flooded," Mayor Corradino said. "We reported it to the state and they are in the process of evaluating it now."
   Once started, repair work to the bridge is expected to take 18 months to complete. Work to the bridge will include the removal of its steel superstructure (the part of the bridge above its foundation).
   That portion of the bridge will be sandblasted and refurbished and repainted, according to Borough Administrator Gary Garwacke.
   "Then they’ll take off the deck (what you drive on) and abutments (the concrete footings that hold the bridge up) and then put the superstructure back on top," he said.
   In reviewing the impact of the heavy rain, Mayor Corradino said Monday that despite nearly 3 inches of rainfall received by Somerset County, the borough remained relatively unaffected.
   "We were fortunate," Mayor Corradino said. "Had the water come up half a foot more in the valley it would have affected some houses.
   "(Office of Emergency Management Director) Kenny (Otrimksi) and I were out all night observing the water levels," Mayor Corradino said. "There were several residents looking all night seeing how high the water was, people were nervous, but we managed to dodge a bullet."
   Flood waters did reach some Lost Valley properties, although no major damage was reported.
   Traffic on Dukes Parkway East was diverted, as the Raritan overflowed.