Client:
New Jersey Department of Transportation

Location:
Freehold, New Jersey

Project Cost
$15,821,321

Completion Date
September 1, 2006

The route 9/522, Section 23E project involved bridge reconstruction and interchange reconfiguration. The two major components of this project were widening a one mile section of Rt 9, and reconstructing a bridge to carry a portion of the newly widened roadway over a Conrail freight line and Monmouth County Route 522.

The section of Rt. 9 was converted from 2 lanes in each direction to 3, plus acceleration and deceleration lanes were added so that the traveling public could safely utitilize the newly reconfigured route 522 entrance and exit ramps.

The new bridge is 216 feet long and 134 feet wide. It is made of a reinforced concrete deck supported by twenty one steel girders on a cast in place concrete substructure. The substructure consists of two abutments and a center pier. The concrete was cast with an architectural formliner and has a colored stain applied to better blend the bridge into its historic surroundings. The new bridge construction and existing bridge demolition was performed in stages in order to minimize any lane closings along Rt 9.

The first stages of construction included new northbound and southbound bridges along the outside of the existing structure. Once those sections were completed, traffic was split and shifted onto the newly constructed outer bridges. At that time, demolition of the existing bridge took place and construction of the inner northbound and southbound lanes was then completed.

Many other tasks were included in this project. Among them were new roadway drainage, total pavement reconstruction, highway lighting, 16" diameter water main relocation, major utility relocations, two sign structures, sidewalks/curbs and new site landscaping. Final completion of this project was accomplished a year and a half ahead of the determined project completion date.

Rt. 9 is one of the heaviest traveled highways in New Jersey. Due to the heavy volume of motorists passing through our job site every day, special attention was paid to maintain Harms' standard of safety for the duration of the project.