23 Dec ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF THE NEW DUTCH LANE BRIDGE IN FAIRFIELD Pedestrians and Motorists will have Access over Bridge while Construction is Completed
Published on December 23, 2019
Fairfield, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced that the New Dutch Lane Bridge that crosses over the Deepavaal Brook in Fairfield was reopened to pedestrian and vehicular traffic on Monday, December 23rd. Providing public access over the bridge before the holidays fulfills a promise made when construction to replace the 79-year-old structure started in July. In the spring, New Dutch Lane will be repaved and additional landscaping will be planted around the bridge. The upgrades are part of DiVincenzo’s ongoing initiative to modernize our roadway infrastructure, enhance motor vehicle and pedestrian safety, and meet the changing needs of motorists.
“The New Dutch Lane Bridge was obsolete and needed to be replaced with a modern structure. While there is never a good time to close a roadway, we worked cooperatively with the Township of Fairfield and our contractors to make sure the road was reopened before the end of the year,” DiVincenzo said. “The upgrades are part of my administration’s ongoing initiative to modernize our roadway infrastructure. Improvements such as this enhance motor vehicle and pedestrian safety, meet the changing needs of motorists and spur economic development,” he added.
“We are all concerned about public safety and making sure our roads are up to date is part of that. On behalf of the Freeholder Board, we are proud to support projects that enhance motor vehicle and pedestrian safety,” Freeholder Len Luciano said. “The bridge is a wonderful improvement for Fairfield,” Freeholder Patricia Sebold said.
“New Dutch Lane is an important thoroughfare for the residents of Fairfield. We appreciate the improvements and all the work that was done here,” Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.
“Joe has done a lot of great projects in Fairfield and this is definitely one of them. We are pleased with the timeliness of the work getting done and New Dutch Lane being reopened according to the original timeline,” said Fairfield Mayor James Gasparini, who was accompanied by Council President Thomas Morgan and Councilmen Michael McGlynn, Joseph Cifelli and John LaForgia, Administrator Joseph Catenaro and Police Chief Gary Manna.
During construction, New Dutch Lane was closed, and traffic was detoured around the construction area. Access to Kaplan Drive, Eldridge Road and all businesses off of New Dutch Lane was not interrupted. A temporary walking bridge was constructed to allow for pedestrian access to continue.
The existing bridge was completely removed and replaced with a modern, single-span structure that is made of pre-cast concrete and steel piles. It has two travel lanes (one in either direction), a shoulder and parapet on both sides. The bridge is about 40 feet long and 43.5 feet wide.
Built in 1940, the original structure was constructed of reinforced concrete and timber. The latest bridge inspection report described the New Dutch Lane Bridge as being in poor condition and identified it as “structurally deficient.”
PKB Engineering from Secaucus received a professional services contract for $256,938 to design the new bridge. Pillari Brothers Construction Corp. from Farmingdale was awarded a publicly-bid contract for $1,962,858 to perform the construction work. Mott MacDonald from Iselin was awarded a contract for $199,904 to provide construction inspection services. The Essex County Department of Public Works is monitoring the project to ensure delays are avoided. Funding is being provided through grants from the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Local Bridges Future Needs Program and Annual Transportation Program (ATP 2018).
Other projects in Fairfield completed by Essex County include repaving Plymouth Street from Horseneck Road to Route 46 in 2019, Horseneck Road from Plymouth Street to Fairfield Road in 2016, Fairfield Road from Route 46 to Passaic Avenue in 2015 and Hollywood Avenue from Fairfield Road to Horseneck Road in 2012 and desnagging the Passaic River in 2008.