State: Amwell Road Bridge Weight Restriction Must Be ‘Strictly Observed’

The Amwell Road bridge between East Millstone and Millstone, closed since Jan. 16, is scheduled to be reopened on March 11.

The 14-ton weight restriction on the Amwell Road bridge must be “strictly observed” if the structure is to remain open until it can be replaced later this year, the state’s top transportation official said March 1o.

The bridge, which was suddenly closed Jan. 16 for emergency repairs, is set to be reopened on March 11.

Township police Sgt. Philip Rizzo said that department officials are communicating with the DOT “to determine the needs and most appropriate and effective way” to enforce the restriction.

The repairs to the bridge are temporary, made to remedy problems caused by its use by vehicles weighing more than 14 tons.

“Our engineers and maintenance crews did a great job getting this bridge repaired and reopened in just a few weeks despite harsh winter weather,” State Department of Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox said in a release about the bridge’s reopening. “As long as the weight restriction is strictly observed, this repair will allow the bridge to stay open until it can be completely replaced.”

Full replacement of the bridge is scheduled to start “by the end of the year,” DOT spokesman Kevin Israel said in an email.

The 14-ton weight restriction was placed on the bridge in the early 1980s, according to the DOT release. Trucks weighing as much as 40 tons were seen using the nearly 62-year-old bridge, according to the release.

The bridge’s deck and superstructure were repaired and reinforced, according to the release. The repairs stiffen the bridge and are meant as an interim solution.

A video taken by the DOT shows the bridge flexing when cars drive over it:

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