4 Percent of Essex County Bridges Deemed Structurally Deficient

Essex County’s aging bridges are in need of repair, but the cost to do the work would exceed $874 million, a new report released Monday shows. 

Of the county’s 908 bridges, about 4 percent have been rated structurally deficient, according to a report on the issue-driven website NJ Spotlight.  

Additionally, 1-in-5, or 20 percent of the bridges are considered to be functionally obsolete and not in line with current lane and shoulder standards, or occasionally flood, according to National Bridge Inventory data. The average age of an Essex County bridge is 50 years old.

About one in four bridges in the state are either in poor condition or unable to handle current traffic loads, the data shows.

Each bridge was rated based on structure, substructure and its deck to determine the type of work needed to fully restore the bridge. Some of the more highly trafficked bridges are under the ownership of the state and recommended work.

Some Essex bridges the data highlights for repairs include:

• The Glen Avenue Bridge, one mile east of Brookside Drive in Millburn. Estimates for repairs to the bridge were done in 2005 and showed the superstructure was in serious condition while the substructure was in fair condition. At the time, the recommendation was for the bridge to be replaced at a cost of $1,000.
• The Bridge Street Bridge in Newark. Estimates for repairs to the bridge were done in 2004 and showed the superstructure was in poor condition while the substructure was in satisfactory condition. At the time, the recommendation was for the bridge to be repaired at a cost of $46,000.

In a report card for New Jersey's Infrastructure Needs included in the Facing Our Future Report, the state was given a grade of D for bridges.

NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, policy-centered and community-minded.