WEST MILFORD – Passaic County plans to close the Marshall Hill Road Bridge again for six weeks sometime this spring, Mayor Michele Dale said Wednesday night.
“(The county) has not given a timeframe for this,” Dale said toward the end of Wednesday night’s Township Council meeting.
According to Dale, county officials told her about the plan to close the road while meeting with her on another transportation matter.
She said that the county is making the move due to costs and that it expects that continuing to use an alternate lane strategy would cost about $150,000 more to complete the project as opposed to shutting down the bridge for six weeks.
Work on replacing the bridge began last summer and caused the heavily used section of Marshall Hill Road to be closed off and detoured around for about three months, ending around Christmas.
When the bridge reopened at that time, residents expressed relief.
Despite re-opening the bridge, more work on the small span started up again last month with alternate lanes passing through during the daytime.
Dale said that traffic pattern will continue until the county closes it again sometime this spring.
Township Council members said they hope the work would be completed before the annual Memorial Day Parade, which passes over the bridge.
Last fall’s Autumn Lights Festival location was moved to Ridge Road due to the work on the bridge at that time.
Several residents voiced anger about the length of time the bridge was initially closed and a replacement built.