FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 30, 2009

Contact:

Anthony Puglisi
973-621-2542

Lauren Shears
973-621-1590

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF $3 MILLION PROJECT TO REHABILITATE THE BLOOMFIELD AVENUE BRIDGE IN NEWARK

Project to Modernize Essex County Landmark is Completed in Just 8 Months

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced the completion of a comprehensive project to rehabilitate the Bloomfield Avenue Bridge in Essex County Branch Brook Park in Newark on Thursday, April 30th. The $3 million project, completely funded with Federal grant money, restores an Essex County landmark and makes a major thoroughfare safer by modernizing the infrastructure.

"The Bloomfield Avenue Bridge is a familiar sight throughout the landscape of Branch Brook Park and provides a vital route through the City of Newark. The improvements have made the bridge safer for pedestrians and motorists, and preserved an important historical feature of our Park System," DiVincenzo said. "This was a very complex project because of the amount of traffic that comes through this area. I am glad that we were able to shorten the construction period to minimize the disruption to the community. My administration has aggressively pursued projects to improve our bridges, traffic signals and roads to make sure traveling through Essex County is as safe and easy as possible," he added.

All four lanes of traffic were reopened for use on Friday, April 3rd while other work continued to finish the parapet. The new bridge has the same dimensions as the old structure and its original aesthetic appearance was restored as best as possible. The roadway, sidewalks, curbs and external concrete around the original steel arches were replaced and a waterproofing membrane was installed to prevent water damage. The new parapets were constructed according to current design standards, but the historic character of the bridge was maintained. All work was made in accordance with generally accepted historic preservation methods and was approved by the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. This was necessary because Branch Brook Park was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 1980 and the bridge is located within the Branch Brook Park Historic District. Work started in July 2008 and was completed in just eight months, which is four months ahead of schedule. The construction was performed in two phases so that two lanes of traffic and one pedestrian sidewalk were open at all times. More than 30,000 vehicles cross the Bloomfield Avenue Bridge on a daily basis.

"This project is an example of County government doing things in a balanced way. The upgrades enhance the safety on the bridge and preserve the historic aesthetics. These improvements will ensure the bridge meets the needs of residents today and in the future," State Senator Teresa Ruiz said.

"On behalf of the Board of Freeholders, we commend the County Executive for this fine work to improve the Bloomfield Avenue Bridge. This bridge and the Park Avenue Bridge are historic treasures and, in the last four years, both have been rehabilitated," Freeholder Samuel Gonzalez said.

"We thank the County Executive for continuing to improve the County's infrastructure, especially for this significant investment in the North Ward of Newark," Newark North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos said. "Bloomfield Avenue links the City of Newark with so many other Essex County communities. Bloomfield Avenue is a thriving community and the bridge improvements will help us cultivate the Avenue as a destination," he added.

The original bridge was built in 1904 and crosses over the park road and lake in Essex County Branch Brook Park. The old structure was a "Melan" type of arch construction, which is a patented method of reinforcing a concrete arch with an internal steel frame. A 34-foot-wide replica of the bridge was
constructed next to the 1904 structure in 1951 to widen the roadway to include four lanes of traffic and two pedestrian sidewalks. The County pursued the project because the concrete shell and roadway were damaged from water and moisture penetration into the structure.

TranSystems/Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers of Paramus received a $374,420 contract to design the bridge improvements. Perello, Inc. of Lake Hopatcong was awarded a competitively bid contract for $2,654,470 to rehabilitiate the bridge. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays were avoided. Funding for this bridge rehabilitation project was provided by the Federal Highway Administration.

Essex County conducted a similar rehabilitation project on the Park Avenue Bridge, which crosses over the road and stream in Branch Brook Park. The $3.2 million project was completed in 2005 and was also funded with a Federal grant.

According to the 1905 Annual Report of the Essex County Park Commissioners, the construction of the Park Avenue Bridge and Bloomfield Avenue Bridge improved access between the Middle and Southern divisions of Branch Brook Park and helped create "a continuity of park landscape, which makes a most pleasing impression upon the visitor."

Revitalizing Essex County Branch Brook Park

DiVincenzo's administration has completed several improvement projects in Branch Brook Park as part of a comprehensive initiative to revitalize the Essex County Park System.

Currently being developed is a $917,642 synthetic grass surface football/soccer field in the Branch Brook Park Middle Division Recreation Complex that will be named "Essex County Andre Tippett Field." Tippett graduated from Barringer High School in Newark, played 11 seasons with the New England Patriots and is the first person from Newark to be inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame.

A $2.46 million facelift in the Branch Brook Park Extension was completed in April 2009. This "demonstration project" enhanced landscaping, saw additional Cherry Trees planted, improved pathways and modernized entranceways into the park from Franklin Avenue. An $840,000 renovation of the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center was finished in April 2008 and the building was transformed into a year-round showplace to raise awareness about the Cherry BlossomsTrees. A replica of the historic Octagon Shelter in the Southern Division of Essex County Branch Brook Park was built for $353,510 and opened in November 2007 and $1.5 million was invested to modernize and reconfigure the baseball field complex known as the "three diamonds" in October 2007. The baseball/softball complex in the Branch Brook Park Middle Division was reopened in April 2005 after an $11 million remediation and modernization project, and the historic restoration of the Park Avenue Bridge was completed in 2005. Entrance enhancements, new fencing and landscaping along Clifton Avenue and Mill Street, and a major improvement project along Lake Street have made the park more inviting. DiVincenzo also has established partnerships with several community groups to apply for grant funding so additional improvements can be made. The County also worked with the Passaic River Sewage Commissioners River Restoration Program to address flooding near Lake Street and Ballantine Parkway.

Other bridges that have been upgraded are North Willow Street Bridge and the Washington Street/Willowdale Avenue Culvert in Montclair, the Ridgewood Road Bridge, Passaic Avenue Bridge andVauxhall Road Bridge in Millburn, Northfield Avenue Bridge over Canoe Brook and the Northfield Avenue Bridge over Bear Brook in Livingston, the West Oakwood Avenue Bridge in Livingston, Bloomfield Avenue Bridge and the Linden Avenue Bridge over the Peckman River in Verona, Hillside Avenue Bridge in Glen Ridge, Baldwin Street Bridge and West Street Bridge in Bloomfield, Runnymede Road Bridge in Essex Fells, Kirkpatrick Lane Culvert in West Caldwell, Pier Lane Culvert in Fairfield, Grandview Avenue and Little Falls Road culverts in North Caldwell, and Madison Avenue bridge, Chancellor Avenue culvert and Springfield Avenue culvert in Irvington.

The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 17 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range and two off-leash dog facilities. Branch Brook Park was created in 1895 and is the first park in Essex County's system. At 359.72 acres, it is the largest county park in Essex.

# # #