W. Park Blvd. Bridge Construction Won't Begin Until August

The heap of rubble and mounting frustrations of residents on W. Park Boulevard may not be alleviated until October, 13 months into a small bridge replacement that was supposed to be done last December.

An engineer hired by Camden County reported this week that work on the long-stalled project won't begin again until early August. Construction ceased late last fall on the busy alternate road to Haddon Avenue in Haddon Township  after inspectors discovered a contractor's error.

Concrete poured on the two-lane bridge was improperly mixed and didn't pass a stress test. With winter approaching, the project was halted because a gas utility line under the bridge could not be taken out of service. It was supposed to begin again in March. Five months later, it still hasn't.

Township and county officials were not able to be immediately reached for comment. The bridge replacement is a county project. The concrete contractor is expected to pay for the construction delays.

A resident on W. Walnut Street near the bridge let a sign on their front yard do the talking. It read "Drive Like Your Kids Live Here."

W. Park Boulevard connects Haddonfield with Haddon Township and Collingswood. With the bridge and road closed, drivers can circumvent the detour on side streets, on which traffic has increased since the closure.