After multiple Bordentown City residents were notified last month that the Farnsworth Avenue (CR 545) Bridge over the Robbinsville Secondary Conrail would be replaced due to its diminishing condition, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials held an open house meeting on Jan. 24.
The meeting, held at the Carslake Community Center, invited locals to review exhibits of the proposed project, ask questions and discuss any concerns with the NJDOT staff and representatives given that the proposed construction phase can potentially impact traffic and pedestrians.
The bridge replacement’s project manager, Tam Sillick, conversed with residents at the meeting to discuss the reasoning behind the project and explain where the state is currently at in the process.
“The bridge is constructually deficient. There’s a lot of cracks, missing stones, missing mortar and masonry. It’s also functionally obsolete because it has substandard under-clearance,” Sillick said. “Because of the condition of the bridge, we’re looking at various alternatives and at NJDOT, there’s a phase of the design where we start in concept development and look at alternatives to fulfill the project purpose and need.”
“We advance to a preliminary preferred alternative into design. We’re currently in the concept development phase. Conceptually, we’re showing what could be a viable option for the purpose and need,” she added.
Given that the project is currently in a concept design phase, the NJDOT said that these projects are meant to identify the various issues, engage the community and stakeholders, evaluate the alternatives and their corresponding issues as well as applicable regulations and permits, and recommend a preferred alternative if necessary.
The proposed project is intended to improve the safety of the bridge by replacing it and improve the pedestrian mobility by reconstructing the sidewalk and curb ramps along Farnsworth Avenue within the project limits so that they are Americans with Disabilities compliant (ADA).
As the project’s plan currently stands, roadway pavement will be replaced within the project limits, but the city’s Veterans Memorial will have to be removed and stored during the bridge construction. City officials said it will be reassembled once construction is complete.
“It’s located in the historic district of Bordentown, so we need to have considerations for the aesthetics, so that we can fulfill the state historic preservation offices requirements for that,” Sillick said. “In looking at these alternatives, we’re advancing bridge replacement using a precast arch structure. It will have an architectural treatment on the front to mimic the look that’s out there. We take all the comments and concerns into account, so that [when we] advance into preliminary engineering, we try to mitigate some of those concerns while we’re doing the design.
“Right now, it’s conceptual, but once you get into design, we can at least start considering some of the concerns and issues that some of the residents have and try to incorporate that as much as we could,” she added.
According the NJDOT, access to existing parking spaces will be minimal and will be mitigated to maintain access to all facilities during construction. Temporary right-of-way parcels will be required for this project, and public utilities will be relocated with service maintained during the project construction.
During the construction phase, the NJDOT anticipates Farnsworth Avenue to be closed at the bridge to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic during the bridge replacement. Officials said all traffic will be diverted to detour routes during the bridge construction. Rail traffic is intended to be maintained below the bridge during construction with minimal impacts to train schedules as well.
After the concept design phase, the NJDOT will move to the design and permitting phase where the state will bid out the project and award the construction to the lowest responsible bidder. For residents, there will be more planned community engagement steps and research that is required while the project’s consultant evaluates the alternatives and corresponding issues.
“The city is taking this very seriously and will work with the consultant and DOT to make sure the downtown businesses, residents, Veterans Committee, and stakeholders are all engaged during this process,” Bordentown City Commissioner Joe Myers said.
Once a final design is in place, the NJDOT said it anticipates construction to begin in Spring 2023 with the bridge replacement process lasting approximately six months.
“We can probably do a detour for about six months where we demolish the existing bridge, put in a new bridge and put in enough of the roadway to open it up,” Sillick said.
Depending on the selected six-month time frame for the replacement, City Mayor James Lynch said that municipal officials will work with the residents and business owners regarding local festivals and events.
“As far as traffic control and parking, we’re going to try and make it as easy as possible for the local residents and businesses during this process,” Lynch said. “This is something the city is taking very seriously and going to be watching closely.”
Lynch also said that proper disassembly and storage of the Veterans Memorial during the bridge replacement will be prioritized as well.
“The second big thing is the Veterans Memorial. We’re going to make sure that’s protected during construction,” he said.
As the NJDOT estimated schedule for the project currently stands, “Final design start” for the project is planned for Spring of 2021, “Estimated construction start” is planned for Spring 2023 and “Completion of construction” is planned for Fall 2025.