Date of bridge closure is not set in stone
Officials will meet with public to plan for closing once plans are settled
BY JENNIFER DOME
Staff Writer

Some Allentown residents are wondering when the bridge that crosses Doctor’s Creek will be renovated.

Borough officials have said rumors were circulating about when the bridge would be closed. According to Ted Giannechini, the Monmouth County engineer, the renovations aren’t expected to begin until January of 2005.

"It will not be shut down during the majority, or at all, of 2004," he said.

Signs are posted in the borough right now to keep trucks weighing more than 10 tons from crossing the bridge. This restriction was put in place after the bridge was suddenly closed for repairs, earlier this year.

Giannechini said structural repairs were made about a year ago and inspections are done periodically.

"The bridge is holding up right now," he said.

The bridge can handle the occasional overload, such as when heavier trucks illegally cross the bridge, Giannechini said. But inspections are done from time to time, just to be safe, he said.

Mayor Stuart Fierstein said he is checking into the number of tickets issued for trucks crossing the bridge illegally. He said it is the county’s responsibility to post the detour signs, and that proper signage requirements have been met.

The county may go out to bid for the 18-month renovation project in the fall of 2004. Since the bridge repairs will shut down a portion of Main Street, Giannechini said business owners were concerned about losing sales during the holiday season. If the project begins in January 2005, as the schedule currently stands, then the bridge will only be closed for one season.

Giannechini said the county plans to build a pedestrian walkway across Allentown Lake before the renovations begin. He said the county discussed constructing another bridge for vehicles; however, the impact to other areas in the borough as a result would be undesirable.

Detours will be designed to divert traffic away from the bridge during the renovations, and signs will be posted to advertise the detours, the county engineer said.

When the bridge is renovated, the spillway and the bridge itself will be removed and replaced. The road will remain as it is now, and the architectural details will remain intact.

Giannechini said he is now finalizing the architectural plans. Fierstein said permits and approvals from the historic preservation officials are still needed.

Borough resident William Soodul, a Democrat who is running against Fierstein for the mayoral seat, said during the Borough Council’s Oct. 14 meeting that he felt the bridge was unsafe and that plans were not in place for a possible emergency, or when the bridge is closed.

Fierstein said he has spoken with the borough’s emergency services, and that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the bridge.

As the renovations come closer, public meetings will take place with county officials, the borough and Upper Freehold, according to both Giannechini and Fierstein. Access to services such the library and the post office will be affected when the bridge is closed. Plans accessing these services, as well as state and local police, and fire and first aid squads, will be put in place before the bridge is closed, the mayor said.

Fierstein said he thinks the bor­ough will be able to handle what comes along with the bridge reno­vations. He said that although Main Street was closed during the recent Harvest Festival, hundreds of people came into town by other roads. He said that with enough promotion, he believes people will come to the borough’s business area, even if the bridge is out of commission.