Court St Bridge work on schedule

[BLeafe]

Hackensack bridge work on schedule
Monday, May 9, 2011
Last updated: Monday May 9, 2011, 6:52 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
The Record
STAFF WRITER

HACKENSACK — The rehabilitation of the Court Street Bridge is nearing its halfway point, with work on the century-old swing span expected to continue through the fall, officials said.

"We're pretty much on schedule and on budget," said Bergen County Engineer Robert Mulder, adding that Bergen County hopes to have the bridge open to vehicular traffic by Christmas.

It has been decades since the Court Street Bridge swung into position to allow barges to float up the Hackensack River. But once the rehabilitation is completed, the bridge, which links Hackensack and Bogota, will swing again, Mulder said.

Plans call for an adjoining facility to house the bridge's electronic controls.

The county and the federal government announced plans to rehabilitate the 89-foot-long span last year. All but $2 million of the $19.2 million cost is being financed by President Obama's 2010 stimulus package.

Workers first built a wooden, makeshift bridge on site to support construction cranes. Then they removed the bridge's two trusses and demolished the five support structures — two abutments, two rest piers and the center pivot pier — that held the span in place. Those structures are currently being replaced, Mulder said.

Crews from Hackensack construction company Creamer Sanzari have driven in steel piles to fortify each support and concrete is being poured to create the two new abutments and the three piers.

A motor will be installed on the center pier so the bridge can swing to allow for passing vessels.

Once completed, the bridge will have a new deck of galvanized steel and painted "flint gray" — the color when the bridge opened in 1908.

While the project is on pace for a December opening, Mulder said there's no guarantee the work will be completed by then.

"That's what we're shooting for," he said. "We're not planning on [the project continuing beyond December] but things happen. It is an old structure, after all, and there's some work that is going to be required because of things we didn't foresee."

E-mail: harrisc@northjersey.com



It sounds all well and good, but what's the point of having a swing bridge that accommodates taller watercraft, when there are railroad tracks and the Midtown Bridge just north of it that don't swing open?

Maybe they built it just so The Ling can get out.

Here's a picture I took from behind Pep Boys looking north. Court Street is in the foreground, with the Susquehanna tracks and the Midtown Bridge behind it.

[hankmc]

An interesting question about why rebuilding it as a swing bridge seems to make sense to someone at a higher level with a bit more info than the common taxpayer.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/96742884_HISTORIC_SWING_BRIDGE_GETTING_FACE-LIFT.html

The article may provide a hint of things to come as far as the Record property and it's future. Possible development as a marina or waterfront condos with a marina would certainly get a big boost by having a swing bridge accessing the rest of the world rather than confining your cruising to a thousand feet on the Hackensack River. Someone is looking ahead and I doubt it has anything to do with the Ling.

[just watching]

I happen to have been privy to some of the discussions going on in the County about 5 years ago, when this bridge was in the planning and decision-making process.  Their first proposal was to completely eliminate the old bridge and build a new modern bridge much higher above the water.  High enough to have allowed  pedestrians on the waterfront walkway to pass under it.  What stopped that plan was the county's historic community. They lobbied to "keep" the old swinging truss bridge. And the County's decision in the end was to rebuild it in a historic manner, at much higher cost to the taxpayer.  They didn't care about the added costs because it was mostly federal grants. Care to know why the federal government is in a budget crisis, it's things like this multiplied a million times all across the country.

It's great that it will help attract upscale development to the vacant Record campus, but the decision had nothing to do with anyone thinking ahead to make that property more attractive to condominiums with a dock for yachts.  Don't give our County politicians so much credit for thinking ahead on that one. If it happens to add to the redevelopment potential of The Record, that's just dumb luck.

[irons35]

actually, it had to be replaced with either a much higher bridge, which is not possible due to the small amount of room available for approaches, or a swing/draw type of bridge.  the river is considered a navagable waterway by the USCG up to the rail bridge and as such must have a bridge to accomodate that.  it was ok for it not to open because of disrepair until it had to be replaced. once that happened, it had to be replaced with a bridge that moved

[BLeafe]

An interesting question about why rebuilding it as a swing bridge seems to make sense to someone at a higher level with a bit more info than the common taxpayer.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/96742884_HISTORIC_SWING_BRIDGE_GETTING_FACE-LIFT.html

...I doubt it has anything to do with the Ling.

I read that article last year in a newspaper, so I didn't see the online comments until now. I found #5 interesting.

Of course, the choice of a new swing bridge has nothing to do with the Ling............tongue was planted firmly in cheek, but the bridge WILL be advantageous for the sub because it and the museum were told in 2007 that they would have to leave:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/11njtopic.html

[hankmc]

I like Irons explanation. Trying to get the USCG to change the status of that section of the river might have been more trouble than building a swing bridge, especially since the major part of the construction money was Federal. A bonus if the developed Record property includes a marina but a headache for bridge traffic if scheduled openings are frequent.

After all the possibilities are looked at it may be that staying with the status quo for historical reasons is the answer.
 

[just watching]

The County's original plan was to replace the Court Street Bridge with a brand new bridge about 5 or 6 feet higher, and make it a draw bridge. There was never talk about making something very high that large boats can go under, and that doesn't need to be opened (such as the new bridge connecting to the base of Sandy Hook). The Court Street draw-bridge plan was scrapped for the much more expensive historic rendition of a swing bridge.  In my humble opinion, a classic example of government waste for no real ends.

As far as history is concerned, it is the USS Ling that should be kept, not some outdated swing bridge technology.  It would be a real shame to loose the USS Ling and the Museum.  The big question is IF the USS Ling can be moved.  It's old, it's rusted, it might not be seaworthy if someone tries to get it towed out of there.

[Editor]

I think the Ling must be stuck in the mud.  The river hasn't been dredged in decades and I doubt you could tow the sub even if you could get in a large enough vessel. I think there are other bridges in the way also as seen in Bob's picture below.

You'll remember that the Intrepid was stuck in the mud and it took considerable effort to make it budge. If it is ever to be moved, it would probably be by land, in several pieces.  This, no doubt, would be a costly proposition. 

Related topic: USS Ling to be moved

[BLeafe]

Al, that's a view from north of Court St. The Midtown Bridge is behind me and the RR/trolley(?) tracks combo are in the foreground - the reverse angle of the image in my original post - so they would be no impediment to the Ling's potential southerly exit path.


The comments to the article in Hank's link provide the following semi-amusing exchange:

Monday June 21, 2010, 6:37 AM - MiddleMan  says:
Even the Ling doesn't need the bridge to swing. It can submerge and pass under it.

Monday June 21, 2010, 12:21 PM - oneseventwo  says:
MiddleMan,what will the Ling submerge into? Mud? The Hacky isn't deep enough.


Also, there was a Ling-related letter to the editor in yesterday's Record:

[Homer Jones]

I think that our Editor is correct when he says that the Ling must be stuck in the mud. The sub was brought up to Hackensack I believe in 1973 or there about. It got stuck on a mud flat on the way up to it's current location and since the River hasn't been dredged since then I can see a lot of problems moving it downstream .

[Editor]

Looking at Google Earth, there are several other bridges to contend with going south although I have no idea about the current clearance height. There are two other railroad lines, both with drawbridges.  I wonder about the last time they were opened.  Might have been when the Ling was going north.

[BLeafe]

“She still floats,” Mr. Coulson [Naval Museum treasurer] said of the Ling. “We’re sure of that. But the river silted up, so we’ll need to get the Army Corps of Engineers in here to dredge the Hackensack.” - from the previously-posted 2007 NY Times link


"My machine she's a dud, I'm stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Jersey" - from "Rosalita" (Bruce Springsteen)

[Editor]

Choice quote.  Bruuuuuuceeee! 

[Homer Jones]

 Or to paraphrase Bruce, it sounds like the Ling is a "downbound boat."
If they can't move it, how about converting it to a Starbucks/ Blimpie Base? They could use the galley for food prep and have seating on the deck. Nice site for weddings and repast lunches.

[BLeafe]

how about converting it to a Starbucks/ Blimpie Base?

Homer, the obvious choice would be a SUBway! 

Eat fresh!