A bridge that has connected Essex County with Hudson County for more than a century might be replaced.
The Newark Municipal Council adopted a resolution last month supporting a plan that calls for “the complete replacement of the Bridge Street Bridge,” according to the Newark Legislative Research Center. This decision comes after a study was conducted by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
The bridge links Bridge Street in Newark with Harrison Avenue in Harrison. Bridge Street is a continuation of Downtown Newark’s Washington Street while Harrison Avenue evolves into the Newark-Jersey City Turnpike.
The resolution states that the plan, known as Concept 6A, “replaces the bridge with a movable single-span bascule bridge structure to address structural, geometric and operational deficiencies of the bridge.” The proposed bridge would be around 80 feet wide and include six-foot sidewalks, according to the resolution.
The existing Bridge Street Bridge is one of eight bridges allowing cars to travel between Newark and Hudson County. Only four of these bridges, including the Bridge Street Bridge, currently allow for pedestrians to cross. Access to the walkway on the nearby Stickel Bridge was eliminated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation in 2016.
Although the new Bridge Street Bridge would remain under the jurisdiction of the two county governments and “no municipal funds are required for this project,” Newark was required to approve a resolution supporting the project in order for the next two phases of plans to qualify for receiving federal funding, according to the resolution.
