Glen Avenue Bridge Reopens Ahead of Schedule

The Glen Avenue Bridge rehabilitation project in Millburn has been completed two months ahead of schedule, county officials announced Friday.

Essex County expedited the construction of the bridge, which has been reopened to traffic.

"We knew from the start that closing the road to reconstruct the bridge would be a major inconvenience to residents and motorists, and we worked diligently with our contractors and the township to minimize disruption and move the project ahead of schedule,” Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo stated in a release. 

“This continues to be a very complex project because work on the water, electric and gas utility lines still needs to be finished, but reopening the road will be extremely beneficial for our residents’ quality of life. I want to thank the utility companies, the township and our contractors for their hard work,” DiVincenzo stated.

Glen Avenue provides crucial access to the area around South Mountain Reservation, as well as through Millburn.

The project took four months to complete, according to Millburn Mayor Robert J. Tillotson, who stated, “The bridge looks great and we’re happy to return to our normal traffic pattern."

Originally constructed in 1908, the Glen Avenue Bridge crosses the West Branch of the Rahway River and provides access to Millburn’s downtown district and the roads surrounding South Mountain Reservation. 

The project included replacing the existing deteriorated deck, reconstructing the existing concrete abutment walls, replacing the guide rail and bridge railing system, and replacing the curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge.  

Hatch Mott MacDonald from Millburn received a $305,400 contract to design the bridge improvements. Sparwick Contracting, Inc. from Lafayette Township was paid $970,331 for the construction work.