William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge
Encyclopedia
The William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge in New Jersey
that crosses the Passaic River
, connecting Newark
and Harrison
as part of Interstate 280
.
The bridge was constructed from 1948 to 1949 as Route 25A and is owned and operated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
. The total length of the structure is 209.6 m, and it provides a clearance of 11.7 - 15.1 m. The length of the movable section is 41.9 m. The bridge was inaugurated on May 1, 1949 and became part of the interstate system in 1971.
The bridge is one of the few movable bridges that remain in the Interstate Highway System
. The bridge remained manned by a drawtender March 3, 1999. It rarely opens and requires an 8-hour notice to NJDOT for opening.
The six-lane Stickel Bridge has four through-traffic lanes and two lanes for traffic entering and exiting Route 21
at Exit 15 just west of the bridge.
The April 2001 release of a New Jersey Department of Transportation report labeling the Stickel Bridge "structurally deficient and functionally obsolete" has prompted officials to consider options to either rehabilitate or replace the bridge. Inspectors found both the superstructure and substructure of the old span to be in "poor" condition, the result of wall cracks and severe corrosion of structural steel. Furthermore, the steel-grated roadway, narrow lanes and tight ramps leading to the local streets have contributed to the bridge's high accident rate. As an interim measure, the NJDOT has reduced the speed limit on the bridge to 40 mi/h.
As of December 2006, rehabilitation work is underway on the span. The structure is in the process of having its mechanical systems overhauled as well as the old black coating being removed in favor of a light blue paint. In May 2008, the rehabilitation work on the span was completed.
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...
that crosses the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
, connecting Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
and Harrison
Harrison, New Jersey
Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 13,620. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.-Geography:Harrison is located at ....
as part of Interstate 280
Interstate 280 (New Jersey)
Interstate 280 is a Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It provides a spur from I-80 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morris County to Newark, and I-95 Interstate 280 (abbreviated I-280) is a Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It provides a spur from I-80 in...
.
The bridge was constructed from 1948 to 1949 as Route 25A and is owned and operated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
. The total length of the structure is 209.6 m, and it provides a clearance of 11.7 - 15.1 m. The length of the movable section is 41.9 m. The bridge was inaugurated on May 1, 1949 and became part of the interstate system in 1971.
The bridge is one of the few movable bridges that remain in the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
. The bridge remained manned by a drawtender March 3, 1999. It rarely opens and requires an 8-hour notice to NJDOT for opening.
The six-lane Stickel Bridge has four through-traffic lanes and two lanes for traffic entering and exiting Route 21
Route 21 (New Jersey)
Route 21 is a highway in northern New Jersey, running from the Newark Airport Interchange with U.S. Route 1/9 and U.S. Route 22 in Newark, Essex County to an interchange with U.S. Route 46 in Clifton, Passaic County...
at Exit 15 just west of the bridge.
The April 2001 release of a New Jersey Department of Transportation report labeling the Stickel Bridge "structurally deficient and functionally obsolete" has prompted officials to consider options to either rehabilitate or replace the bridge. Inspectors found both the superstructure and substructure of the old span to be in "poor" condition, the result of wall cracks and severe corrosion of structural steel. Furthermore, the steel-grated roadway, narrow lanes and tight ramps leading to the local streets have contributed to the bridge's high accident rate. As an interim measure, the NJDOT has reduced the speed limit on the bridge to 40 mi/h.
As of December 2006, rehabilitation work is underway on the span. The structure is in the process of having its mechanical systems overhauled as well as the old black coating being removed in favor of a light blue paint. In May 2008, the rehabilitation work on the span was completed.