Schooley's Mountain Road Bridge in Washington Twp. Opened to Vehicles

Published on April 16, 2020

Detour Eliminated -- Finishing Touches Expected Over Next Several Weeks

Replacement of a small county bridge on Schooley's Mountain Road, over the Musconetcong River, in Washington Twp., has been completed, with traffic now allowed to travel on the road at a limited speed.

A detour in place since early March has been eliminated

(JPG, 418KB) Car travels across reopened Schooley's Mountain Road bridge

The bridge replacement project began on March 9 and required closure of a portion of Schooley's Mountain Road with a detour utilizing Route 57 and Newburgh Road.

The remaining work to be done includes installing the stone veneer, bridge railing, guide rail, and finalizing sewer utility work, landscaping and final pavement and striping. But vehicles traveling at a posted speed of 15 mph can now utilize the bridge.

"We realize this bridge closure was quite inconvenient to local residents, so we wanted to get the road open as soon as possible and eliminate the detour,'' said Morris County Freeholder Stephen Shaw. "We thank everyone for their patience and anticipate this new bridge will serve motorists well for many decades to come.''

The project contractor is Colonelli Brothers of Hackensack, which won the bid contract at a price of $774,720.

County Bridge No. 1401-219 is located between Newburgh Road and Hastings Road €“ near the Warren County border. The original span was built in 1920 and widened in 1937.

The existing structure is so small that many motorists might not realize they are going over a tiny bridge. It carries about 2,500 vehicles daily.

(JPG, 408KB) While the road is reopened, finishing work will take several more weeks to complete