The million-dollar roadway project will correct urgent structural integrity issues with the bridges, affecting local traffic for at least a month, Camden County officials said.
By Matt Skoufalos | July 17, 2018
The Grove Street bridge traverses the Cooper River in Haddonfield. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
UPDATE (September 28, 4:30 p.m.) —
According to a statement from the Camden County government, traffic detours over the Grove Street bridge in Haddonfield will be lifted Monday, October 1.
The Cuthbert Boulevard bridge is expected to fully reopen October 15.
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Local commutes will be more complicated for the next month or so, as renovations to a pair of bridges over the Cooper River alter traffic patterns in Haddonfield and Haddon Township.
The work will reinforce weakened bridge beams in both communities, disrupting the flow of vehicle traffic along Grove Street and Cuthbert Boulevard for more than a month.
Starting at 7 a.m. July 23, the northbound travel lane along Grove Street in Haddonfield will be shut to traffic leaving the borough.
North of Maple Avenue, vehicles will be diverted along Coles Mill Road. Where Grove Street meets Kings Highway East, traffic will be diverted down Park Boulevard.
Southbound vehicles entering Haddonfield from Cherry Hill will be allowed to travel normally along Grove Street.
Grove Street traffic diversion plan. Credit: Haddonfield Police.
In addition to posted traffic plans, Haddonfield Police Lieutenant Jason Cutler said that traffic-control officers and variable message boards will help to redirect motorists.
“We know the first week or two is going to be hectic,” Cutler said.
In Haddon Township, closures will affect the eastbound and westbound left lanes of Cuthbert Boulevard for the length of the project.
Traffic will proceed normally across the span, but county officials warned that drivers should expect delays.
Neither project will close the bridges to pedestrian traffic.
Camden County spokesman Dan Keashen said the work is part of annual, routine maintenance undertaken to combat the effects of inclement weather, vehicle traffic, and “regular punishment from the river itself.
“Because of the way these bridges were built and the constant flow of water underneath them, they take a beating on a regular basis,” Keashen said.
Traffic along the Cuthbert Boulevard bridge in Haddon Township. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Construction manager Joe Ragusa of the Haddonfield-based Remington and Vernick, which is overseeing the repairs, said the steel girders that underpin both bridges will be cleaned, primed, and painted.
Crews will also make spot repairs and remove deteriorated materials, “which is why you can’t have traffic on the bridge,” Ragusa said.
“On Grove Street, the work’s toward the sidewalk area, on Cuthbert, the work’s towards the center [of the span],” he said.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation Local Bridge Future Needs Fund fueled the repairs to the tune of $1 million for both projects. Construction work will occur during 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; the project is expected to take at least one month to complete.
Neighbors with any issues or questions during the course of the work may contact Ragusa by email or by calling 609-828-3222. To report any concerns along Camden County roadways, call the Camden County Department of Public Works at 856-566-2980 or use this online form.
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