SECAUCUS – Secaucus will receive $650,000 in discretionary aid from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) for repairs to the Meadowlands Parkway Bridge. Mayor Michael Gonnelli announced at the Town Council meeting last month that the most recent state inspection resulted in the bridge receiving a priority one and two status, meaning it required extensive repairs. At the meeting the council approved submission of a grant application and execution of a grant contract with the DOT for emergency repairs.
“Our goal is to get this initial money, get the bridge fixed,” said Gonnelli at the time. “Once the bridge is fixed, the county executive has offered to take that bridge away from us because the county is able to get the funding to replace the bridge whereas the municipality can’t.”
Now that the money has been allocated, bids were received from two different bridge companies and work should begin shortly on the initial repairs. Built in 1975, the four-lane bridge sees traffic of 15,000 vehicles per day. It received emergency work in 2005, at which time support columns were installed at select locations. It is now in need of a complete overhaul.