PARSIPPANY — Morris County bridge crews plan to make emergency repairs to a culvert that partially failed on Friday, requiring the closure of a portion of Intervale Road in Parsippany.
The goal is to reopen the tiny span over a tributary of Troy Brook by the end of next week to minimize inconvenience to local residents.
County workers are planning to remove the debris from under the structure next week.
On Monday, July 15, weather permitting, county crews will excavate the collapsed area and begin installation of a steel plate or a concrete slab as a temporary fix that would allow the road to be re-opened by July 19.
The Intervale Road crossing, which sites between Lakeview Avenue and Ronarm Drive, is a single span stone masonry arch structure that was widened on both sides with reinforced concrete slabs.
The overall length is just 6 feet and the deck width is 31 feet. The culvert was built in 1900 and widened in 1940. It carries about 500 vehicles daily.
The masonry arch is deteriorating and needs replacement. A previous temporary plate was installed due to a depression that developed in the arch.
The county is expediting a project that will offer a long-term fix — a proposed three-sided replacement structure with stone-faced pylons and a four-bar railing. Work could begin in late summer or early fall.
The culvert will be closed to traffic during the project, which soon will be bid, with a contract awarded to have a new structure prefabricated off site.
