1908 bridge rehab opens two months ahead of schedule

Iselin, N.J. – On Friday, June 20, Essex County and Millburn Township officials cut a ribbon to celebrate the reopening of the Glen Avenue Bridge in Millburn, N.J. Among those attending the reopening ceremony were Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., and Hatch Mott MacDonald Project Manager Jerry Kroner. The rehabilitation of the bridge, estimated to last about six months, was completed in just over four.

Hatch Mott MacDonald was retained in 2012 to design improvements, which included replacing the deteriorated deck and the supporting bridge beams, reconstructing the concrete abutment and wing walls, and replacing guide rails, bridge railings, curbs, and sidewalks. HMM proposed replacing the existing superstructure with modern steel beams and a composite concrete deck, supported by a rehabilitated abutment substructure.

The project also included a feasibility study to confirm the final design scope of work, preliminary and final design, environmental permitting, right-of-way and utility engineering, and preparation of construction plans and specifications. The project included coordination with a separate project by New Jersey American Water, also designed by Hatch Mott MacDonald, to concurrently replace sections of 20- and 24-inch water lines running under the bridge with a single 36-inch ductile iron water main rerouted around the bridge structure.

Galvanized reinforcing steel and poly microfiber reinforcement was used to reduce long-term cracking and spalling of the new concrete deck, and best management practices were used to control sediment and soil erosion during construction. Galvanized bridge beams in the new bridge superstructure were used to reduce future maintenance as well. The project also included replacement of an existing 8-inch gas main, upgrade of an existing 138-kilovolt underground electric transmission main, and installation of a new 8-inch water main, all supported by the bridge superstructure.

Built in 1908, the Glen Avenue Bridge crosses the West Branch of the Rahway River and provides access to downtown Millburn and roads around the Essex County South Mountain Reservation.