January 21, 2004

COUNTY TO REPLACE JEFFERSON AVENUE BRIDGE
80 Year-Old Bridge Spans Robinson's Branch of Rahway River

This month, Union County began work on the replacement of the Jefferson Avenue Bridge in the City of Rahway. The bridge spans the Robinson’s Branch of the Rahway River between Madison and St. Georges Avenues. The bridge was built in 1924 with a steel girder reinforced deck.

Work on the project is expected to take six months, with the bridge closed for the duration. Vehicles will be detoured on Maple, Madison and Central avenues.

“One of the most important responsibilities of County Government is maintaining our roads and bridges,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Rick Proctor, of Rahway. “In the past five years we have replaced the Lawrence Avenue Bridge and the East Milton Avenue Bridge. We are making a major investment in better, safer roads in the City of Rahway.”

The new bridge will be built using pre-stressed concrete beams. It will be 51 feet wide and 60 feet long with concrete sidewalks on both sides. A concrete parapet wall and wing walls will also be installed.

The project will cost $1.2 million. H&G Contractors of Ridgewood were the low bidders on the $920,000 cost of construction.