The state Department of Transportation is wrapping up work to replace the bridge on Route 1 over the Millstone River this month, and the bridge has already been restored to its original traffic pattern.
Route 1 has been shifted to the right of the highway in both directions sine July, as part of the ongoing $18.8 million bridge replacement project. Crews have re-striped the roadway, removed the safety barrier over the bridge, and restored the traffic pattern.
Final paving and curb construction operations will require some further lane and shoulder closures until the end of the month, DOT officials said. They noted that the bridge came in on budget and on schedule.
“This is a high profile project that exemplifies the goals of our Department — maintaining a state of good repair within our existing infrastructure to ensure the safety of motorists while limiting the impacts during construction,” DOT Commissioner James Simpson stated in a press release.
The project entailed replacement of the old, structurally deficient Route 1 Bridge over the Millstone River with a new concrete bridge that features wider shoulders and two sidewalks. New guide rail and end treatments have been installed, and the DOT also raised the profile of the Route 1 approaches by approximately 20 inches in order to conform to the new, wider bridge structure. Approximately 100,000 vehicles travel over the bridge each day.
The DOT’s contractor, Anselmi & DeCicco Inc., began construction in July, 2009. All bridge and roadway reconstruction work is scheduled for completion by the end of this year. The contractor will return in the spring to install electronic Intelligent Transportation Systems components along this stretch of Route 1.
