Politics & Government

Friendship Road Bridge Could Reopen Next Week

Work by Middlesex County to repair bridge washed out in Hurricane Irene could be finished as early as next week.

Work to repair the Friendship Road bridge could be finished as early as next week, according to South Brunswick officials. Township Manager Bernard Hvozdovic said at Tuesday night's council meeting that guide rails have been installed, and that top coat paving was expected to begin on Wednesday, followed by striping and minor landscaping work.

"The road could be open as early as next week," Hvozdovic said. "A lot of people use that to go to , so hopefully since the season has started the road will be back up and operating soon."

The small bridge suffered significant damage during Hurricane Irene and has been impassable due to a gaping hole ever since.

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Repair work on the bridge, which was performed by Middlesex County, began in the third week of December with an initial target date for the reopening coming in March, so the repairs have progressed as expected.

, the county road had been under repair for two years with a metal plate installed in the bridge as a temporary measure. The metal plate was to be a stopgap until the appropriate permits could be obtained from the Department of Environmental Protection for the full needed repairs.

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Middlesex County performed extensive work on the bridge with the expectations of avoiding any future storm-related problems, Mayor Frank Gambatese said last year.


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