Fort Lee Bridge May Be Replaced By 2026, State Says

FORT LEE, NJ — The Fletcher Avenue Bridge may be under construction by 2026, and the public is welcome to provide comments and questions during a virtual information center, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The department will host the virtual public information center starting Monday through March 4. The information center will provide residents with the ability to view a presentation and project information, as well as submit comments or questions regarding the project.

Local residents and businesses will be able to access information on the project involving Route 9W, the Fletcher Avenue Bridge which spans U.S. Routes 1, 4, 9, 46 and 95.

The bridge deck is in poor condition and is functionally obsolete because of its substandard deck geometry and lateral and vertical clearances. The bridge was built in 1930 and requires a lot of upkeep to remain open to traffic.

The project will address any safety, longevity and functionality concerns of the bridge.

Following are the department’s proposals for the project:

• Full bridge replacement
• Installing new 8-foot wide shoulders on Route 9W, Fletcher Avenue
• Improving pedestrian connectivity by providing continuous 6-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides of the bridge
• Improving vertical clearance under the bridge to meet the department’s standards and improve lateral clearance for the roadways below
• Replacing bridge-mounted signs with approach sign structures

Depending on funding, a final design for the project should be completed by the middle of 2025, a year before construction is projected to begin, the department said.

You can learn more about the project and leave comments during the Virtual Public Information Center at the project's website.