By John Tredrea, Special Writer
Mercer County’s decision to dismantle the Jacobs Creek bridge in western Hopewell Township has neighbors of the bridge and other township residents agitated.
They brought their concerns to the attention of the Hopewell Township Committee at its Monday night meeting.
Township Administrator/Engineer Paul Pogorzelski said the county obtained permission, from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to dismantle the bridge, due to damage done to the span during Hurricane Irene.
On Monday, work crews near the bridge removed some poplar trees, up to about 6 inches wide, and conducted soil borings to obtain data for the engineers who are designing a replacement bridge, officials said.
In response to comments from area residents Kim Robinson, Ashley Kerr (a Republican candidate for Township Committee) and Beth Kerr, the committee agreed to contact the county about making sure that work done near the bridge doesn’t improperly impact wetlands or cause any undue disturbance to the historical significance of the area.
Deputy Mayor Michael Markulec echoed the concerns of the residents who spoke.
”Cutting trees” and driving heavy equipment into wooded areas, as was done Monday near the bridge, “is not minimizing impact” on a historic area, Mr. Markulec said.
Like Ms. Robinson, he added: “If the bridge has been damaged” and needs to be removed, “every effort should be made to preserve it.”
Built in the late 19th century, the Jacobs Creek bridge spans the creek whose name it bears near the point where George Washington and the Continental Army forded the creek on the way to the Battle of Trenton, a turning point of the Revolutionary War.
James McPherson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who taught at Princeton University for many years, and other scholars say the area is of major historical significance. The route Washington followed to Trenton has become known as “The Victory Trail.”
”Save The Victory Trail!” has become the rallying cry of opponents of the county’s controversial plan to replace the bridge with a larger span while realigning roads that approach the bridge.
The road realignment, in particular, Beth Kerr and other opponents of the county plan have said, is what would wreak havoc with “The Victory Trail.”
Mr. Markulec asked Mr. Pogorzelski — “What controls are in place to make sure the bridge is dismantled and stored properly?”
Jobs like that are “routinely done around the state,” Mr. Pogorzelsksi replied, adding that there are contractors who specialize in that kind of work.
The intense debate over the future of the bridge and surrounding scenic, historic area has been raging for several years. Opponents of the county plan turned out in large numbers at meetings of the county freeholder board several months ago.
To the dismay of those opponents, the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted unanimously to spend over $700,000 on design and engineering work for a new bridge.
The soil borings done Monday are part of that work.
The freeholders said that — while the historic character of the area is important — they felt the need to replace the bridge in order to manage area traffic was paramount.
The bridge was closed by county officials in September 2009 due to safety concerns. The span had a 3-ton weight limit when it was closed.
The weight limit had been progressively lowered over the years, as the county decided the structure was less and less able to handle weight.
