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Landing Masonry Bridge

From Alfawiki
Landing Masonry Bridge
Company typeStone arch bridge
IndustryTransportation infrastructure
Founded1907
Headquarters
Landing
,
United States
ProductsBridge carrying Morris County Route 631 over NJ Transit rail lines

The Landing Masonry Bridge, identified as Bridge 44.53, is a stone edifice erected in 1907 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in Landing, New Jersey. Positioned 44.53 miles away from Hoboken Terminal, it supports two lanes of Morris County Route 631 (Landing Road) over the Morristown Line and Montclair-Boonton Line railroad tracks, which are managed by New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. This bridge is situated just north of NJT's Lake Hopatcong Station.

By the year 2009, the structure was deemed structurally deficient, leading NJT and the New Jersey Department of Transportation to propose its replacement with a four-lane bridge. Despite these plans, construction faced delays exceeding ten years until June 2023, when demolition of adjacent buildings commenced to enable the project.

History

During the late nineteenth century, Landing Road was carried over the Morris Canal (eastern span) and the DL&W mainline (western span) by a pony truss bridge. This steel, cable-supported bridge featured two towers that upheld it, along with stairways descending to the station below.[1] Additionally, it incorporated two pony truss sidings.[2]

Between 1907 and 1908, this earlier bridge was substituted by the Landing Masonry Bridge, a stone construction comprising two arches that mirrored the former spans.[3] It also accommodated tracks for the Morris County Traction Company trolleys.[4] The train station was positioned just north of the bridge’s central pier.[5] The previous bridge remained in place for approximately three years, serving as a pedestrian crossing to the station.[6]

In 1910, DL&W initiated construction of a new Lake Hopatcong Station located south of these bridges in anticipation of the Lackawanna Cut-Off inauguration.[7][8] Finished at a cost of $28,500 and opened on May 28, 1911,[9]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name it featured a principal building on Landing Road along with two prominent pedestrian towers. This development rendered the old bridge obsolete, resulting in its removal.[10]

The Landing Masonry Bridge continued to accommodate automobile traffic along Mount Arlington Road and Old Netcong Road. By 1925, sections of the Morris Canal were filled in during the construction of Station Road beneath the bridge, enhancing access to the new station.[11] The Morris Canal ceased operations in 1924 and was gradually filled over the subsequent five years.[12]

Currently, a 96-space parking lot for Lake Hopatcong Station occupies the eastern arch of the Landing Masonry Bridge.[13]

Planned replacement

Though reconstructed in 1972, the Landing Masonry Bridge on Morris County Route 631 has significantly deteriorated. It no longer meets requirements to carry existing or anticipated traffic volumes from Interstate 80 and Sussex County, with visible cracking developing in its stone masonry. The bridge earned a sufficiency rating of only 19% and was designated structurally deficient by the United States Department of Transportation.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation’s 2010 Capital Program included plans to replace it with a four-lane structure developed in coordination with the Morris County Highway Department. The proposal involves realigning Landing Road and installing a traffic signal, incorporating feedback from local residents. Funding allocations comprised $800,000 in 2010 for design work, $750,000 in 2011 for right-of-way purchase, and $6.575 million earmarked for construction in fiscal year 2012 from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

Nonetheless, progress stalled for more than ten years due to difficulties acquiring land, environmental issues, and legal disputes. An initial construction start planned for late 2021 was deferred to late 2022. Actual work commenced in June 2023 with demolition activities targeting nearby structures.

See also

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pic2~1895
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pic1895
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named nbi
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named landingnewjersey
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pic1910
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pic1911
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named yanosey
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named cutoff
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named book1981
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 1911post
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named map1925
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named arcadia
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named njtransit
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