Plan is to put up a pedestrian bridge that matches design of historic bridge
MARSHALLVILLE — Closed for nearly 20 years, the Marshallville Road bridge may be demolished and replaced with a pedestrian span.
The state Historic Preservation Office (HPO) is scheduled to discuss Cape May County’s plan to replace the bridge during a meeting next week.
Upper Township engineer Paul Dietrich said April 3 that local residents had requested the county reopen the bridge to pedestrians and bicyclists.
According to a document from the HPO, the county proposes to replace the 1901 bridge over Mill Creek with a Warren truss pedestrian bridge.
The HPO is 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.
At present, 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 superstructure is substantially deteriorated and has been closed to vehicular traffic since 2004 and, thus, rehabilitation and preservation of the Warren Pony truss bridge (1901) is not prudent or feasible,” the document states.
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 reconstruction is viewed as a contemporary creation with an adaptive use,” it states.
The county’s design would increase the bridge elevation to provide at least 5 feet of 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.
A virtual public meeting of the New Jersey Historic Sites Council is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 20. Visit meet.goto.com/444434389 or call (877) 309-2073. Access code 444-434-389. Those who plan to attend are asked to email njhpo@dep.nj.gov.
– STORY By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
