By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
When will the Route 518 bridge be reopened?, Your guess is as good as mine., It is those guesses that Vitaly Shakirov is trying to tease out in a fun contest posted on the Facebook page for his coffee shop business, called “Buy the Cup,” on Washington Street in Rocky Hill Borough., Shakirov posted the contest on his business’ Facebook page last week. So far, more than 40 people have commented/guessed, Shakirov said Monday afternoon., The person who guesses the correct date of the bridge’s opening will win a $10 gift card for “Buy the Cup.” If no one guesses the correct date, it will be awarded to the person who guessed closest to the opening date, he said., Work to replace the Route 518 bridge, which crosses over the Delaware and Raritan Canal at the edge of Rocky Hill Borough, began on July 7. It was supposed to be closed for three to four weeks., But on July 8, Gov. Chris Christie issued an executive order to stop work on all non-essential state-funded projects because the Transportation Trust Fund in the state Department of Transportation was running out of money., Once the issue of re-funding the Transportation Trust Fund was resolved, work on the Route 518 bridge resumed. The project was supposed to be completed by the end of February, but work was halted earlier in the month., The project is being held up because of the discovery of creosote, which is a wood treatment chemical, in the ground and water. The contractor discovered the creosote near the project, said Steve Schapiro, the communications director for the state Department of Transportation., “It is pretty depressing,” Shakirov said of the bridge closure., Washington Street, which is the main street through Rocky Hill Borough, should be busy, but it has been quiet, he said. There are few cars on the street., Shakirov said his business has been affected by the lack of traffic, and added that the bridge closure has affected other businesses in town. Commuters and emergency services responders have been affected, as well, he said., “They keep promising us all the time. In November, they said it would be open by Christmas. In December, they said it would be open by the end of February. Now, they say it will be open by the end of March,” Shakirov said., He added that realistically, if all goes well, it will be opened by the end of April., Schapiro said the state Department of Transportation understands that the project is locally sensitive. The agency is working as quickly as possible to resolve the issue and complete the project, he said., “(But) these types of unexpected environmental issues demand immediate attention to ensure the safety of the workers and the residents,” Schapiro said.
