Mercer County has opened the new bridge carrying Iron Bridge Road over Crosswicks Creek.
Officially known as Bridge #670.4, the structure connects Hamilton Township in Mercer County to Chesterfield Township in Burlington County.
The completion of the new bridge reopens this crossing after a two-year closure.
The former bridge on Iron Bridge Road was a century-old single-lane pony truss bridge, founded on a masonry substructure that dated to the 1860s.
Plans to replace the aging bridge were already in place in August 2024, when an inspection revealed that the superstructure of the bridge had deteriorated to the point that it was considered structurally deficient and was at risk of becoming unsafe for vehicle traffic. As a result, the bridge was closed to traffic on Aug. 15.
The new bridge is a ninety-six-foot span, steel multi-beam bridge founded on two pile cap foundations with reinforced concrete abutments, four reinforced concrete wingwalls, and three sheet piling retaining walls.
The bridge is built in accordance with current New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) standards, widening the crossing to support two travel-lanes as well as five-foot shoulders on either side of the roadway and a sidewalk on one side.
“I’m very glad to have this bridge completed and this route between Hamilton and Chesterfield open once again,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson.
“I want to thank the local residents for their patience as we completed the work; I know it was a long wait, but the safety of our residents is always our number one priority.”
Construction on the bridge was substantially completed in 235 calendar days, which was 35 days ahead of schedule.
The old bridge structure during deconstruction.
Newly completed bridge over Crosswicks Creek.
The new bridge.
