ESSEX COUNTY TRANSPORTATION BANK LOAN CLOSING

Essex County recently closed on a $1,724,193 construction loan from the NJ Transportation Bank, a joint low-rate financing program of the NJDOT and the NJ I-Bank, to replace the New Dutch Lane Bridge over Deepavaal Brook in Fairfield, NJ.  
 

The two-span structure was constructed in 1940 and consists of reinforced concrete T-Beams and a bituminous concrete deck. The superstructure is supported by timber abutment and pier caps on timber piles.  The existing bridge has a curb-to-curb width of 40 feet and a total bridge width of approximately 43.5 feet.  The bridge carries one lane of traffic in each direction, with a narrow shoulder on each side of the bridge and no sidewalks.  Based on the latest Bridge Inspection Report, the New Dutch Lane Bridge is structurally deficient due to the poor condition of the substructure and has a Sufficiency Rating of 61.6 (out of 100).  Numerous piles at both abutments and the pier exhibit severe decay, up to 1" wide checks and splits, and hollow sounding areas due to internal decay. The bridge is being replaced in-kind and the construction is expected to begin in July and be completed by December 2019.