PARSIPPANY — Morris County is set to start work during the week of Monday, August 31 on replacement of the Intervale Road bridge in Parsippany, a span that crosses a tributary of Troy Brook.
The tiny county-owned span will be closed to traffic for about four months, with motorists facing a one-mile detour. Signs will be installed to guide traffic on alternate routes in both directions, employing Intervale Road and Lake Drive.
This is one of a series of bridge projects currently being undertaken by county government across Morris County.
“This may be a small bridge but it is very important to county residents who use it every day, and we must maintain it,’’ said Freeholder Stephen Shaw. “It is part of the county’s continuing effort to ensure that we provide safe and first-rate infrastructure for county residents and businesses.’’
The $726,360 Intervale Road bridge project will include replacement of the existing structure and both roadway approaches. Sparwick Contracting of Lafayette Township in Sussex County, the lowest responsible bidder, will be the contractor on the project, which is being financed by the Morris County government.
Intervale Road bridge carries as many as 600 vehicles daily. The original stone masonry arch bridge was built about 120 years ago, estimated at 1900, and then widened and reinforced in 1940.
The bridge, bordered by guide rails on both sides, is just six-feet long and 31-feet wide. It carries two lanes of traffic in eastbound and westbound directions. While a bridge evaluation report lists the bridge in overall “fair” condition, the original stone arch has been deteriorating. It will be more cost-effective to replace the bridge rather than continue increasingly costly maintenance.
Morris County is moving ahead on many bridge projects this summer, taking advantage of lighter traffic during the COVID-19 crisis to get work done with less impact to the motoring public.
Ongoing Morris County Bridge Projects:
- Jefferson Township: Russia Road bridge replacement
- Dover: East Blackwell Street bridge replacement
- Mt. Olive/Netcong: Waterloo Road bridge replacement
- Rockaway Township: Valley Road bridge replacement
Completed 2020 Morris County Bridge Projects:
- Washington Township: Schooley’s Mountain Road bridge
- Rockaway Township: Chestnut Terrace Bridge
- Morris Township: Mill Road bridge in Morris Township
