'Obsolete' Bridge Redesigned In The Oranges After Recent Inspection

ORANGE, NJ — The reconstruction of Thomas Boulevard Bridge in Orange has crossed the finish line, Essex County officials recently announced.

Here’s what to know about the project, according to a statement from the county:

“The Thomas Boulevard Bridge was built in 1964 as a single-span, simply supported, concrete box-beam bridge. After a recent inspection, it was categorized as functionally obsolete, meaning its current geometrics did not meet New Jersey safety standards. To meet current safety standards, it was necessary to redesign the bridge.”

Boswell Engineering from South Hackensack was awarded a professional services contract of $244,971 to redesign the bridge and perform construction inspection services. CMS Construction Inc. from Plainfield was awarded a publicly bid contract for $519,351 to perform the construction work. The project was fully funded by an NJDOT Local Aid Infrastructure Fund grant, county officials said.

Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren said the project is a “home run for our residents,” especially in the senior building cluster. The project also got a thumbs-up from Council President Adrienne Wooten and Council Vice President Tency Eason.

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