Restoration Of Historic Long Valley Bridge Planned For June

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Motorists should plan for detours this summer as Morris County plans to restore a historic bridge on Schooley's Mountain Road.

Long Valley residents can expect a newly restored bridge across the South Branch on Schooley's Mountain Road, as the County of Morris Department of Public Works Division of Engineering & Transportation has planned a complete restoration.

The bridge, a local landmark and vital link, has been in desperate need of repairs for some time, officials said.

The construction plans, which are set to begin in June, will include inspecting and repointing the arches, replacing the soil material above the arches with lightweight concrete, installing a waterproof membrane, restoring the stone parapet walls and repaving the roadway.

The construction was originally scheduled to begin in 2024, but plans were changed to expedite the process.

"Due to the recent damage to the parapet wall on the west side of the structure from two recent crashes, the County felt it was in the best interest of public safety to accelerate a larger rehabilitation project originally scheduled for 2024 to this summer 2023," the County of Morris Dept. of Public Works Division of Engineering & Transportation said.

The county collaborated with Washington Township and its emergency services to plan this work and the detour routes.

During the construction period, southbound traffic (coming down Schooley's Mountain towards the intersection with Route 513) will be detoured for the entire time. Northbound traffic will be maintained across the bridge for the first stage, which will last approximately 51 days.

During stage two, the entire bridge will be closed for 21 calendar days.

The main detour route will be Flocktown Road to Naughright Road to Bartley Road back to East Mill Road. Residents and motorists who are accustomed to using Schooley's Mountain Road to get around will notice a significant change.

The project is expected to take 72 calendar days to complete, with the bridge reopened in time for the start of the new school year this summer. Longer workdays and weekend work are expected to ensure that the project is completed as soon as possible.

"While we understand this is a hardship to anyone traversing the bridge, this historic arch bridge has served the community for 120 years and is in need of rehabilitation work to allow it to continue to be of use for the community well into the future," officials said.