The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The bridge replacement project on Route 518 between the township and Rocky Hill is set to resume on Nov. 21, a state spokesman said.
Work on the $2.75 million project was halted on July 8, when Gov. Chris Christie signed Executive Order 210, which froze funding for all Transportation Trust Fund -funded road projects not deemed as essential. Christie signed the order on June 30, after the state Legislature failed to enact a gas tax hike to fund the TTF.
In August, Mayor Phil Kramer, Deputy Mayor Ted Chase, Millstone Mayor Ray heck and Rocky Hill Mayor Jeff Donahue gathered at the bridge during rush hour and held up a banner which read, “Christie Fix This Bridge.”
Kramer welcomed the news.
“I’m glad our calls for repairs to continue have finally met with success,” he said.
The governor earlier this month signed a bill raising the gasoline tax by 23 cents, most of which will go to fund the TTF, allowing the projects to resume.
The project’s completion date – originally set for August – is now believed to be early 2017, according to the DOT press release.
The work to be started on Nov. 21 by the project’s contractor, Tarheel Enterprises Inc., involves completing drill shafts necessary for new bridge piers. Work to reconstruct the bridge will include milling and paving the approaches to the bridge, removing and replacing the existing piers, installing new precast abutment caps on either side of the canal, replacing the support beams, and pouring a new stamped concrete deck which will resemble wood to blend in with nature and D&R Canal, according to the state DOT.
The bridge, originally constructed in 1950, requires a full closure so it can be reconstructed because of severe deterioration of the support beams, the DOT release said.
The original detours remain in effect. They are:
Traffic from CR518 eastbound and Route 206 southbound:
- Motorists traveling eastbound on CR518/Washington Street will be directed to make a right onto Crescent Avenue
- From Crescent Avenue, right onto CR605/Kingston Road, which becomes River Road
- From CR605/River Road motorists will make a left onto Route 27 north and then continue back onto CR518/Georgetown Franklin Turnpike
Traffic from CR518 westbound:
- Motorists traveling westbound on CR518/Georgetown Franklin Turnpike will be directed to make a left onto Route 27 south
- From Route 27 south, motorists will be directed to make a right onto CR605/River Road, which becomes Kingston Road
- From CR605/Kingston Road, traffic will bear left onto Crescent Avenue
- From Crescent Avenue, motorists will continue onto CR518/Washington Street
Traffic from Canal Road southbound:
- Motorists traveling southbound on Canal Road will be directed to continue straight past the bridge, which becomes Kingston Rocky Hill Road and then Laurel Avenue
- From Laurel Avenue motorists will make a right onto Route 27 and another right onto CR605/River Road
Traffic from Route 27 southbound to CR518:
- Motorists traveling southbound on Route 27 will be directed to go straight on Route 27 and make a right onto CR605/River Road, which becomes Kingston Road
- From CR605/Kingston Road, traffic will bear left onto Crescent Avenue
- From Crescent Avenue, motorists will continue onto CR518/Washington Street
