W. Park Blvd. Bridge to Remain Out Through Summer

The project was supposed to be completed in three months, before last Christmas.

But now the West Park Boulevard Bridge, which sits in a mess of crumbled concrete behind a 6-foot chain-linked fence, will mostly stay that way until the end of September, Camden County officials announced this week.

Work is scheduled to resume on the West Park Boulevard Bridge in Haddon Township on or about June 24.  It is expected that the project will take approximately 60 days to complete once the contractor has returned to the site.  The exact timing of the project is dependent upon the weather and other factors.  The bridge will remain closed during this period.

Construction was delayed after it was determined that the concrete poured in each arch section of the structure last fall did not meet Camden County or New Jersey State specifications due to an error by the concrete supplier. 

It was further delayed through the winter because a gas utility pipeline that runs under the bridge could not be taken out of service. That delay stretched past March, when PSE&G originally said it could shutdown the gas line.

“We regret that the construction delays that have plagued this project have been an inconvenience to residents in the area,” said Freeholder Ian Leonard, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Works.  “This project signifies a significant investment in Haddon Township, and will result in a much safer bridge and improved roadway.” 

The busy, two-lane road connects Haddon Township to Haddonfield and is an east-west alternative to Haddon Avenue.

After detailed analysis of several options, a structural retrofit that will be installed at the expense of the contractor has been approved by the structural engineer.  This clears the way for the contractor to return to the bridge site to re-mobilize and resume construction.

The West Park Boulevard Bridge, originally constructed in 1923, is 47 feet 8 inches wide including sidewalks and 41 feet in length. When completed, the $273,788 project will include new concrete curbing and handicap ramps, new inlet and manhole castings, roadway striping and markings, and full resurfacing of the roadway approaching the bridge. 

The bridge reconstruction has necessitated the closure of West Park Boulevard (CR 641) from Walnut Avenue to Chestnut Street.  Motorists should continue to use Haddon Avenue as an alternate route.