Morris County Reopens Openaki Road Bridge at Denville-Randolph Border

Published on September 18, 2019

Project Completed Ahead of Schedule

(JPG, 1MB) Completed Openaki Road bridge project

The Openaki Road Bridge in Denville reopened this afternoon after an emergency tree removal project at the adjacent dam was completed a few days ahead of schedule.

A recent inspection had found that trees growing on the dam have increased in size, as had their root systems, causing water to flow through the earthen dam.

Since the dam is integral to the county bridge, the state Department of Environmental Protection's Dam Safety Division required that the trees be removed immediately.

Landing-based Tree King, hired for tree and stump removal, quickly completed its part of the project, allowing the county Bridge Department to install concrete in the voids left by the removal of the stumps. As a result, the bridge reopened this afternoon.

The Openaki Road Bridge in Denville is a one-lane span that crosses the Den Brook at Openaki Lake, at the Randolph border, where the road becomes Casterline Road.

The bridge underwent repairs last year to correct a structural flaw. The bridge is scheduled to be fully replaced in 2023.

The Openaki Road Bridge, a steel stringer structure, was built in 1924 and was rehabilitated in 1992, and repaired last year. The 15.5-foot-wide, 54-footlong bridge carries an average of 4,600 vehicles daily. It is posted to carry 13 tons.

(PNG, 2MB) Bridge and dam prior to tree removal. It is scheduled for replacement in 2023