West Caldwell Bridge Reopens After Storm, Still Needs Replacement

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — A new bridge is still in the works for West Caldwell. But for now – to the relief of local residents and commuters – the Orton Road Bridge has reopened after being temporarily closed due to a heavy storm that ravaged many spots in the Caldwells.

The bridge was put back into service Friday, county officials reported.

“The storms… caused damage to the Orton Road Bridge and resulted in the county closing the bridge to vehicular and pedestrian traffic last week while debris was removed and emergency repairs could be made,” Essex County spokesperson Anthony Puglisi said.

The county was already in the planning stages of designing a new bridge to replace the existing one when the storm hit, Puglisi said.

“However, the bridge still needs to be replaced,” he added. “Because of the emergency situation, we anticipate the designs to be completed soon, the project to be put out for a public bid and construction to start by the end of October.”

• See related article: NJ Has 596 Structurally Deficient Bridges, Report Says
• See related article: Murphy Declares State Of Emergency In Essex County After Storm
• See related article: Will Verona Get Flood Aid From Feds? It May Be Up To Trump.

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Photo: Essex County