Burnt Mills Road Bridges to be Replaced

Although the work won’t actually begin until March 2014, the Bedminster Township Committee approved a resolution to support the New Jersey Department of Transportation in its plans to replace all the bridges on Burnt Mills Road.

According to Mayor Steve Parker, the bridges themselves have to be removed completely and redone.

“They are in desperate need of repair,” said Parker of the two bridges that cross Route 287 and the one that crosses I-78. “They can’t be repaired and still be traveled on. They can’t be done piecemeal.”

But, Parker said, they will not be done all at once because of properties in between them.

The Burnt Mills Road and Route 287 overpasses will be closed from mid March to July 2014 while those are replaced. From there, beginning in July 2014 to December 2014, the I-78 overpass will be redone.

So, Parker said, much of the road will be out of commission for most of 2014.

Bedminster Township Police Chief Pat Ussery said there will be signage about the closures well in advance, plus a detour to take drivers from Burnt Mills Road through Bridgewater to Route 202/206.

“And locals will know the way around by other routes,” he said. “I can also throw up a Nixle alert.”

Parker said it is going to be difficult, but is a necessary move.

“This is going to be painful every time a bridge goes down,” he said. “It is just one of those things, a pain that we probably have to deal with.”