By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Work has begun on the replacement of a badly deteriorated bridge that crosses Cruser Brook on Route 206 and which is a stone’s throw from the Montgomery Township Municipal Building.
The work started immediately after Labor Day, and it is expected to take two years to complete the project, according to Township Administrator Donato Nieman.
The bridge replacement project has been in the works for decades, Nieman said. The bridge, which is under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, is in imminent danger of failure.
“It is very old and it is in very poor condition,” Nieman said.
The bridge was built in 1925, and its overall condition is poor, according to NJDOT. The reinforcing bars on the concrete bridge are exposed and rusting on the underside of the bridge.
The project spans about 1,750 feet along Route 206, and includes replacing the existing concrete bridge with a new concrete bridge. The new bridge will incorporate a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the southbound side.
Route 206 already has two 12-foot-wide lanes, which will not be changed. The shoulders, however, will be widened to eight feet. Their present width varies, according to NJDOT.
The project will not require closing off Route 206 at any time. The work will be done in stages, and access to all homes and businesses along Route 206 will be maintained at all times.
