Route 1 bridge between Edison and New Brunswick getting three-year, $110 million makeover

The 95-year-old Morris Goodkind Bridge along Route 1 over the Raritan River in Middlesex County will be getting a $110 million restoration aimed at addressing structural deficiencies and congestion while also decreasing any further deterioration.

The work, slated to begin in 2025, is targeted for a milelong stretch along Route 1 northbound from the Route 18 ramp in New Brunswick to Travers Avenue in Edison.

According to a project presentation on the state Department of Transportation website, plans call for Route 1 northbound to be widened south of the bridge to accommodate an additional auxiliary lane, and the right shoulder narrowed from 12 to 8 feet while the left shoulder will vary between 3 and 8 feet. The work will result in three, 12-foot travel lanes and a 12-foot auxiliary lane.

The Morris Goodkind Bridge crosses the Raritan River between Edison and New Brunswick.

A portion of the bridge will be demolished, with the existing opening filled in and paved over.

The work will also include reconstruction of the islands at the ramps to and from Leo and Edmund streets, construction of a continuous sidewalk along the right side of Route 1 northbound from Regency Manor Drive to Edmund Street, and the existing sidewalk on the left side of the Route 1 northbound bridge will be removed.

The median barrier will be replaced on both sides of the bridge, and underneath Route 1, Fox Road will be improved with sidewalk reconstruction, guide rail replacement and pavement rehabilitation.

Throughout the Route 1 corridor, pavement will be reconstructed and resurfaced, and improvements will be made for drainage, signing, striping and lighting along with some minor utility relocations, according to the DOT.

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Plans also include a 10-foot-tall, 1,230-foot-long noise barrier installed in front of the Raritan Crossings apartment complex to provide sound buffering from the roadway from Regency Manor Drive to the beginning of the bridge.

The 1,902-foot-long Route 1 bridge over the Raritan River was built in 1929 and has 15 concrete arches. The bridge, eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, is named for Morris Goodkind, a former DOT bridge engineer who designed the structure.

A June 2019 bridge survey report rated the structure in fair condition with sections of exposed rebar and several medium to wide cracks.

Currently this section of Route 1 has a 50-mph speed limit with three lanes in each direction divided by a concrete median barrier. Along the northbound side is an outside shoulder and there are sidewalks on both sides of the bridge, but no sidewalks on the approach roadways, both north and south of the bridge.

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The project is expected to require state permits for waterfront development, coastal and freshwater wetlands, stormwater management, noise, green acres and fish and wildlife due to peregrine falcons in the area.

The project is slated to be developed in four stages while maintaining three lanes of traffic in each direction from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. with two lanes in each direction from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. A movable barrier system will be used to help direct the flow of traffic.

Preliminary engineering work for the project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month, and final design work in spring 2025, with construction beginning in fall 2025. The work is anticipated to be completed in fall 2028.

The project is federally funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The virtual public information center period runs through Feb. 2. Comments and questions about the project can be sent to Meredith Hammond, New Jersey Department of Transportation regional manager, Office of Government and Community Relations, P.O. Box 600, Trenton, N.J. 08625-0600, or email [email protected].

Email: [email protected]

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Route 1 bridge between Edison and New Brunswick getting three-year, $110 million makeover