7 Percent of Morris County Bridges Deemed Structurally Deficient

Of Morris County's 668 bridges, about 7 percent have been rated structurally deficient.

Additionally, 17 percent are considered to be functionally obsolete and not in line with current lane and shoulder standards, or occasionally flood, according to National Bridge Inventory data. The average age of a Morris County bridge is 52 years old.

About one in four bridges in the state are either in poor condition or unable to handle current traffic loads, the data shows.

Each bridge was rated based on structure, substructure and its deck to determine the type of work needed to fully restore the bridge. Some of the more highly-trafficked bridges are under the ownership of the state and recommended work varies from smaller fixes to full-scale replacement, such as the case for Morristown's Lafayette Avenue bridge at the Route 287 junction. With replacement proposed for the three-lane bridge, built in 1972, work would cost about $4,910,000.

The data shows clusters of bridges in need of repairs in the areas of Morristown and Dover. One of the more costly projects in the Dover vicinity is the Route 46 bridge near Route 15. Recommended costs for the four-lane bridge, built in 1929, are estimated at $41,510,000 as the substructure was rated to be in serious condition and the bridge is recommended for replacement. About 16,993 vehicles pass over the bridge daily.

In a report card for New Jersey's Infrastructure Needs included in the Facing Our Future Report, the state was given a grade of D for bridges. The costs to repair all Morris County bridges would top $268 million.

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