FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Teresa Ruiz

March 24, 2006 973-621-4404

Anthony Puglisi

973-621-2542

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES

COMPLETION OF BLOOMFIELD AVENUE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Complex Project on Busy Thoroughfare is Finished Six Weeks ahead of Schedule

Verona, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced on Friday, March 24th that work to replace the Bloomfield Avenue Bridge is complete. The construction project on one of Essex County’s busiest thoroughfares was completed in just six months – six weeks ahead of schedule.

“We all knew this would be a difficult project, but it became even more complex when we had to install a temporary bridge after the original structure collapsed after a rainstorm,” DiVincenzo said. “We completed this project ahead of schedule because of the cooperation between our Department of Public Works, the Township of Verona and our contractors. Closing the lanes did create some inconvenience and traffic delays, but by working together we completed the job six weeks ahead of schedule and minimized the disruption to the community,” he added.

The County Executive noted that the original replacement was supposed to be completed in 9 months and the contractor offered to finish the job in 8 months. The bridge was completed in 6 months, including the time delayed to install and remove the temporary bridge. In addition, the County Executive noted the high level of cooperation received from Verizon, AT&T and PSE&G, whose utilities are located above and below the bridge.

“This is a great day to see the street open and the traffic flowing freely two months ahead of schedule,” Verona Councilman Kevin McKenna said. “We benefited from the great cooperation with the County and the commitment of the contractor to get the job done,” he added.

“We work well together and I am thankful for the support the County has given to Verona with this project and the Bloomfield Avenue/Route 23 improvments,” Verona Councilman Santi Condorelli said.

The new structure is made of precast concrete arches over reinforced concrete footings. The opening installed is equivalent to the original structure, which was a double masonry arch structure. The new arch is a single 25.7-foot span arch and is 76 feet wide. The roadway remains 55 feet wide with 10.5 foot-sidewalks at both sides of the road. In accordance with requirements from the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office, the new bridge has a stone veneer that matches the historic features of Essex County’s Verona Park.

The construction project started September 26, 2005. A week later heavy rains created a hole in one of the bridge lanes and it was determined that temporary repairs could not be made. To maintain safety and to keep two lanes of Bloomfield Avenue open during the construction, a temporary bridge was installed over the Peckman River. The temporary bridge was removed on December 8, 2005, after the first two lanes of the bridge were completed. Traffic was diverted to the two new lanes while the remaining half of the bridge was replaced.

“We followed this project from start to finish and we are appreciative of the work done by the County,” Verona Town Administrator Joseph Martin said. “This is a splendid example of what can be accomplished when the municipality and County work together,” he added.

According to statistics from the Essex County Division of Engineering, about 37,000 vehicles travel along that section of Bloomfield Avenue on a daily basis. Because of the heavy traffic, there has been a great deal of wear and tear on the bridge and the structure needs to be replaced. The original bridge was constructed in 1902 and first replaced in 1945.

The new bridge was designed by the Berger Group, which received a $260,492 contract. Scafar Contracting was awarded a $1,330,296 contract to perform the construction work and HAKS Engineers received an $85,000 contract to provide construction inspection services. The complete cost of the project is being funded by a 1999 Bridge Bond from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

This is the second major roadway improvement project that the Essex County Department of Public Works completed in Verona during the last six months. In September 2005, the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Pompton Avenue/Route 23 and the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Sunset Avenue were reconfigured and modernized to improve safety and traffic flow. The $1.4 million upgrade was funded with a grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Replacing the Bloomfield Avenue Bridge is part of the DiVincenzo administration’s initiative to modernize the County’s infrastructure and make roadways safe for motorists and pedestrians. Other bridges that have been upgraded are the Park Avenue Bridge in Newark, the Madison Avenue Bridge in Irvington, Hillside Avenue Bridge in Glen Ridge, Baldwin Street Bridge in Bloomfield, Ridgewood Road Bridge and Vauxhall Road Bridge in Millburn, West Oakwood Avenue bridge in Livingston, Washington Street/Willowdale Avenue Culvert in Montclair, Runnymede Road Bridge in Essex Fells, Kirkpatrick Lane Culvert in West Caldwell, Pier Lane Culvert in Fairfield and Grandview Avenue and Little Falls Road culverts in North Caldwell.

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