Bridge Street Bridge (Newark)

Bridge Street Bridge is a swing bridge over the Passaic River connecting Newark and Harrison, New Jersey. It is the 10th bridge from the river's mouth at Newark Bay and is 5.7 miles (9.2 km) upstream from it.[1] Carrying vehicular traffic, the roadway is designated County Route 508.[2]

Entrance at Bridge Street looking east
Bridge Street Bridge
Coordinates40.7451°N 74.1657°W / 40.7451; -74.1657
Carries CR 508
(Bridge Street & Harrison Avenue)
CrossesPassaic River
LocaleNewark and Harrison, New Jersey
OwnerEssex County
ID number0700H03
Characteristics
DesignThrough truss swing bridge
MaterialSteel
Total length371.1 feet (113.1 m)
Width40.4 feet (12.3 m)
Longest span122.1 feet (37.2 m)
No. of spans2
Clearance above12 feet (3.7 m)[1]
Clearance below6.9 feet (2.1 m)
History
Constructed byAmerican Bridge Company
Opened1913
Statistics
Daily traffic11,820
Location

The span is a rim-bearing Pratt thru truss swing span supported on ashlar substructure with concrete caps originally built by the American Bridge Company. It opened in 1913 and underwent significant rehabilitation in 1981.[3] It is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places (ID#3093) [4] The bridge was re-lamped in 2012.[5][6] The bridge's electric motor was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, requiring replacement.[7]

Like the other vehicular swing bridges in Newark, the Jackson Street Bridge and the Clay Street Bridge,[3] it crosses over the tidal navigable portion of the river.[1] and is required to open with 4-hour notice.[8] The swing bridges of Newark are expected to open as much as 10 times a day during a massive clean-up of the Passaic starting in 2019 to allow barges to move contaminated sludge dredged from the river bottom raising concerns about their reliability.[9] As of 2016 studies were underway to study its replacement.[10]

History

The site of Bridge Street Bridge has been a river crossing since the colonial era. In 1790 the state legislature decided that "public good would be served by a 64 feet (20 m) wide road from Paulus Hook to the Newark Courthouse". By 1795 a bridge over the Hackensack 950 feet (290 m) long and another over the Passaic 492 feet (150 m) long were built creating an uninterrupted toll road connection.[11] The road between them is known as the Newark Turnpike.

See also

References
  1. Lower Passaic River Restoration Project Commercial Navigation Analysis (PDF) (Report). United States Army Corps of Engineers. July 2, 2010. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  2. NJDOT County Route 508 Straight Line Diagram by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
  3. Clay Street Bridge (PDF). New Jersey Historic Bridge Data (Report). New Jersey Department of Transportation. November 4, 2002. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  4. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Essex County". NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  5. "Jackson Street Bridge In Lights « Newark's Riverfront". Newarksriver.wordpress.com. 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  6. "Newark Emergency Contract Award" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  7. http://www.theobserver.com/?p=16103 The Observer.
  8. "Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Passaic River, NJ (Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117) [CGD01–97–020] RIN 2115–AE47" (PDF). Rules and Regulations. Federal Register /Vol. 63, No. 120. June 23, 1998. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  9. Higg, Larry (October 31, 2014). "Hudson County, Harrison worried old draw bridges opening during Passaic River dredging could fail". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  10. http://www.njtpa.org/getmedia/c1ca5f18-f06e-4107-8179-b483d711c832/bridge-street.pdf.aspx
  11. Olsen, Kevin K (2008), A Great Conveniency A Maritime History of the Passaic River, Hackensack River and Newark Bay, American History Imprints, ISBN 978-0-9753667-7-6
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