Ridgewood District Still Waiting on Permits to Work on Footbridge

The Ridgewood school district may be delayed in its efforts to that joins the campus from one of its athletic fields.

According to Superintendent Dr. Daniel Fishbein, the district cannot send contractors into the water until it receives its permit from the Department of Environmental Protection. No timeline was offered as to when the permit might arrive, officials said Monday. The district had projected opening the bridge by April.

The bridge – a heavily trafficked thoroughfare for students going to sport events and their vehicles at the Graydon parking lot – was closed on Thanksgiving after it was revealed its structural integrity had further eroded.

School board member Christina Krauss pushed the administration to at least move ahead, find a contractor and sort out the particulars in advance of the permit.

Fishbein agreed, but expressed caution. The contractor selected may back out by the time the permit comes and the award is granted, he said.

Appearing at a recent village council meeting, N. Irving St. resident Paul Woodburn said the school district needs to implement better safety measures at the bridge. Woodburn commented that students often traverse the closed side rails and could fall into the brook below.