Contract approved for replacing Marshallville Road Bridge with pedestrian bridge
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — The Board of County Commissioners approved funding for multiple projects when it met Jan. 28, ranging from the fourth phase of the multimillion-dollar Lafayette Street Park in Cape May to a pedestrian bridge in Upper Township.
Commissioners adopted a resolution providing as much as $1,933,173 through a shared services agreement with Cape May for the fourth phase of the long-stalled city park.
The city awarded a $1,869,475 contract to Massett Building Co., which will construct nature trails through the wetlands behind the Cape May City Elementary School.
City Manager Paul Dietrich previously said the city has funding in its capital bonds for both the main part of the park and the nature trail, the latter of which was estimated to cost $2.6 million.
He previously noted the city has all necessary permits to construct the nature trail, which will be accessible by a path from St. John Street as well as a locked gate behind the school for use by students.
The first phase was dedicated in 2016 and included multipurpose athletic fields, a garden and playground area that connects to the school.
Phase two of the park project would be the easterly portion of the site consisting of the softball field, the dog park and the bocce courts, which is estimated to cost about $500,000.
Commissioners also adopted a resolution awarding an $853,979 contract to Fred M. Schiavone Construction for replacement of the Marshallville Road Bridge with a pedestrian bridge.
Local residents had requested the county reopen the bridge across Mill Creek, which has been closed for nearly 20 years, to pedestrians and bicyclists.
The state Historic Preservation Office (HPO) discussed Cape May County’s plan. According to a document from the HPO, the county proposed to replace the 1901 bridge with a Warren truss pedestrian bridge.
The HPO was involved because while the bridge has been altered, the area has been listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Marshallville was a glassmaking center in southern New Jersey and Marshallville Road served as the village’s main street.
According to the document, there was a single-lane covered bridge over Mill Creek in 1841 with stone masonry abutments. The covered bridge was replaced with a Warren Pony truss in 1901 and is a contributing resource to the Marshallville Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The 1901 Warren Pony truss is not eligible for listing because some of the superstructure steel stringers were supplemented with wooden stringers in the 1990s.
The document states steel floor beams have severe rust, steel bearings exhibit moderate to heavy corrosion and 100 percent section loss in the steel stringers, which are not salvageable.
The county plans to remove the superstructure and replace the bridge, which would result in the total loss of a historic district contributing resource. However, the HPO noted, the replacement would result in a modern bridge that would match the historic bridge in design, materials and color complementary to the setting.
The county’s design would increase the bridge elevation to provide more clearance for boat traffic. The 10-foot-wide pathway would comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Maintaining a bit of its history, the stone masonry would be repointed and repaired.
County engineer Bob Church said work is set to begin this spring and be completed by early summer.
Historic grants
Commissioners approved multiple Historic Preservation Trust Fund Grant agreements, one with the Naval Air Station Wildwood Foundation and two with Historic Cold Spring Village.
Through the Open Space Program, the county will provide as much as $49,380 for preservation of Hangar #1 northeast tower and office annex.
The Historic Cold Spring Village Foundation is set to receive as much as $43,555 for two projects, one to conduct exterior and structural preservation and the other for rehabilitation of the Ezra Norton (bakery), Ewing Douglass (ice cream parlor) and Hathorne House (country store).
Chief Operating Officer John Ryan said the work would include restoration of some buildings and ADA access improvements. It is expected to take place this winter and spring so that everything is back in order before school groups start to visit in May.
The county grant is funding only part of the projects. The foundation had to provide matching grants, which is raised through events, a giving campaign and seasonal admission. Ryan said there also are partner agencies such as the New Jersey Cultural Trust and the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as state grant money, noting it all has been secured.
Ryan said all of the buildings, which have been on the site for 50 years and are 150 to 200 years old, are in good working order. The project will replace worn or rotted floorboards and joists, window sashes and other elements, as well as improve access to the retail stores.
He said the ADA improvements are part of the first stage of a long-term access project around the village.
Nursing, dispatch
Another resolution that was adopted approved an affiliation agreement with Stockton University for students enrolled in the Nursing/Allied Health Program. Students will fulfill the requirements of an internship program through clinical experience at the Cape May County Health Department at no cost to the county.
Finally, commissioners approved accepting a $1,536,599 grant from the state Office of Information Technology Office of Emergency Telecommunications Service for Next Generation 9-1-1 Emergency Telecommunication System.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
