Bridge Opening Delayed In Maplewood Until 'Sometime Between June And August'

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The town of Maplewood announced this week that the new estimate for when the Duck Pond Bridge would reopen is summer 2023, "some time between June and August."

The Bridge is located off Baker and Valley streets.

The town said, "Please be advised that the reopening of the Maplewood Duck Pond Bridge has been postponed until summer 2023. While the bridge's restoration was initially slated to wrap in the fall of 2022, it was delayed due to issues with the delivered glulam beams, which support the structure and allow for safe passage."

Thus, "It has been determined that new beams must be constructed in order for the restoration to be properly completed. To ensure that the new beams are correctly constructed, the Township's Contractor will be overseeing their assembly at their workshop."

Getting the proper materials could take more than three months, the town said.

"Due to supply chain issues, the current lead time for construction materials is 12 to 14 weeks. Once supplies arrive, the assembly of the beams will require an additional one to two weeks of work. After the beams have been constructed and delivered to the Township, final construction on the bridge is scheduled to last six to eight weeks, depending on weather."

The town noted, "While this is not the timeline that the Township had planned for, our engineer and contractor agree that this is the safest path forward for the project at this time. Thank you all for your patience as we work to restore this Township asset to its best condition."

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