Landing Lane Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Landing Lane Bridge, is part of County Route 609 and spans the Raritan River
and the Delaware and Raritan Canal
in New Jersey
. The two lane bridge connects Piscataway to the north with New Brunswick
and Franklin Township to the south. The approaching roadways on both sides are known as "Landing Lane." The Delaware and Raritan Canal
State Park and towpath is accessible from the bridge.
The current span officially was opened in 1895, replacing a previous structure. However, the entire metal grate deck and steel truss was replaced in 1995 with a slightly wider modern metal beam structure and an asphalt covered roadway. The piers were only refurbished rather than being replaced, as this would have required Coast Guard approval, which would have added years to the refurbishment project. (The river, though unnavigable at this location, is under Coast Guard jurisdiction as it is tidal from Raritan Bay to a few hundred yards north of the Landing Land Bridge.) This complication also prevented the bridge from being replaced with a four lane wide span. The plaque from the 1895 metal truss structure is on display at the northern end of the bridge.
During the American Revolutionary War
, Washington's troops were retreating from the British over the Landing Lane Bridge. Washington ordered his troops to destroy the bridge to impede the British. The bridge was partially destroyed before the British caught up with them.
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
and the Delaware and Raritan Canal
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The two lane bridge connects Piscataway to the north with New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
and Franklin Township to the south. The approaching roadways on both sides are known as "Landing Lane." The Delaware and Raritan Canal
Delaware and Raritan Canal
The Delaware and Raritan Canal is a canal in central New Jersey, United States, built in the 1830s that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was intended as an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City,...
State Park and towpath is accessible from the bridge.
The current span officially was opened in 1895, replacing a previous structure. However, the entire metal grate deck and steel truss was replaced in 1995 with a slightly wider modern metal beam structure and an asphalt covered roadway. The piers were only refurbished rather than being replaced, as this would have required Coast Guard approval, which would have added years to the refurbishment project. (The river, though unnavigable at this location, is under Coast Guard jurisdiction as it is tidal from Raritan Bay to a few hundred yards north of the Landing Land Bridge.) This complication also prevented the bridge from being replaced with a four lane wide span. The plaque from the 1895 metal truss structure is on display at the northern end of the bridge.
During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Washington's troops were retreating from the British over the Landing Lane Bridge. Washington ordered his troops to destroy the bridge to impede the British. The bridge was partially destroyed before the British caught up with them.