County still mulling options for Fackler Road bridge
By:Lea Kahn
The Fackler Road bridge, out of service since late 1998, likely will not be reopened in the foreseeable future, according to Mercer County officials.
The bridge, which was built in 1896, was heavily damaged when the driver of a pickup truck lost control of his vehicle and struck the side of the bridge in November 1998. The metal truss bridge spans the Shipetaukin Creek at Route 206, near Carter Road.
Mercer County officials have spent the past 17 months mulling their options — either replace the damaged bridge, or realign Fackler Road to intersect with Route 206 so a bridge is not needed, said Mercer County spokeswoman Sharon Lauchaire.
Those options are complicated by the fact that the Fackler Road bridge is inside the Main Street Historic District, which is listed on the state and national Registers of Historic Places, Ms. Lauchaire said. This means the State Historic Preservation Office approval is needed before any work can be done.
“Once you get into an historic district, it adds so many twists and turns. It’s not easy coming up with a plan and executing it,” Ms. Lauchaire said.
The county’s preferred option is to realign Fackler Road and repair the 1896 bridge for pedestrian use, Ms. Lauchaire said. The county has drawn preliminary plans for the realignment, and is seeking an endorsement from the state Department of Transportation. The DOT must approve because Route 206 is a state highway.
Having DOT’s approval also will make it easier to get the State Historic Preservation Office to agree with the plan, she said. Even if the DOT does not endorse the realignment plan, Mercer County officials could go to the State Historic Preservation Office for approval, she added.
Building a new bridge will take more time, Ms. Lauchaire said. A new bridge will have to be designed, and the construction work will have to be done by an outside contractor. The road realignment work can be done by Mercer County workmen, she said.