26 Dec ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES THE REOPENING OF THE CENTRE STREET BRIDGE IN NUTLEY
Published on December 26, 2018
Nutley, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced the Centre Street Bridge in Nutley was reopened to motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic on Monday, December 24th. Opening the roadway before the end of the year was a promise the County Executive made when construction started in June because the bridge provides vital access to Nutley’s Downtown District. Work to build the bridge and replace the roadway was finished, which allowed access to be restored before the Christmas holiday.
“The Centre Street Bridge is located in the heart of Nutley and provides critical access to the Downtown District. We are pleased that we were able to work with our contractor to reopen the bridge before the end of the year and keep our promise to the residents of Nutley,” DiVincenzo said. “We knew people would be inconvenienced by the construction, and we appreciate their patience and understanding. The old 122-year-old infrastructure needed to be replaced and we are happy that we were able to minimize the disruption and expedite the reopening of the bridge,” he added.
“This was a project that had to be done and it’s wonderful the bridge could be opened before the end of the year,” Freeholder Patricia Sebold said. “The Freeholders are proud to work hand in hand with the County Executive to support these infrastructure projects. They contribute to the public safety of our communities,” Freeholder Len Luciano said.
“I thank the County Executive for delivering on his promise and getting this done before the end of the year. Centre Street is a main thoroughfare in town and reopening the street will make access to our downtown a lot easier,” Nutley Mayor Joseph Scarpelli said. “I thank the county and their contractors for doing such great work,” Commissioner Tom Evans said.
The Centre Street Bridge was classified as “structurally deficient” and a weight limit of 15 tons has been posted because of its deteriorating condition. The original single span brick arch with ashlar spandrel walls and abutments was built about 1896. Reinforced concrete wingwalls were added to the structure in 1929 and a concrete parapet and gabion wall were installed in 1965 after the north spandrel wall and parapet failed.
The new structure is constructed of a precast concrete arch with precast concrete wingwalls that are supported by cast-in-place concrete footings and pedestals. There are two travel lanes – one in either direction – for motor vehicles and sidewalks for pedestrians. The dimensions are virtually identical to the original structure: a clear span length of 42 feet, a roadway width of approximately 46 feet, and a total bridge width of 66 feet. In the spring, the roadway will be milled and a permanent pavement will be installed.
To maintain the historic character and existing setting in Essex County Yanticaw Park and Nutley Booth Park, the concrete color for the new bridge was set by the NJ Historic Preservation Office. The masonry work will be stained in the spring. A stone formliner was used to construct the arch spandrel walls and the parapet walls, the existing ornamental fence was reset, and an interpretive sign will be installed to inform residents and visitors of the history of the crossing and the Yanticaw-Booth Historic District. In addition, 48 new trees will be planted in the adjacent parkland in the spring of 2019.
KS Engineers from Newark was awarded a professional services contract for $242,425 to design the project. Pillari Brothers Construction Corp. from Farmingdale, n.J., was awarded a publicly bid contract for $2,879,230 to perform the construction work. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays were avoided. The bridge replacement was funded with a grant from the NJ Department of Transportation’s Local Bridges Future Needs Grant Program.
Other infrastructure projects undertaken by Essex County in Nutley include repaving the walking paths in Yanticaw Park in 2006; reconstructing Park Way to address flooding in 2008; installing a synthetic grass surface on the softball field, modernizing two baseball/softball fields, renovating the basketball court, installing historic pathway lighting and renovating the field house and playground building in Yanticaw Park in 2010; repaving Centre Street from St. Mary’s Place to Washington Avenue and Union Avenue from Centre Street to Greylock Parkway in Belleville in 2015. In addition, the Frank A. Cocchiola Playground was upgraded with new equipment and a rubberized safety surface.