Work Begins on $10M Replacement of 125-Year-Old Grove Ave. Bridge in Metuchen

Construction kicked off Monday on a $10 million project to swap out a 125-year-old Grove Avenue bridge over the Port Reading Railroad in Metuchen. Federal money pays for the job. Expect shoulder and lane closures near Metuchen High School until the year wraps up.

Grove Avenue will see shoulder and lane closures with traffic taking turns from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Crews need space for survey tasks, clearing plants, and shifting utility poles.

The timber bridge went up in 1900. It's falling apart. Workers will construct a temporary pedestrian bridge this winter so people can still walk across during construction.

Officials are working with the borough to minimize disruption for the community and the high school, which sits right next to the structure. Drivers should slow down, watch out, and plan for delays when passing through the work zone.

Grove Avenue will shut down completely next summer after school lets out. That's when crews will tear down and rebuild the crossing using a precast structure.

The new span gets a reinforced concrete deck and keeps the same setup: a 12-foot southbound lane, 11-foot northbound lane, 7-foot shoulders, and a sidewalk on the northbound side. Workers should finish in spring 2027.

The temporary pedestrian bridge lets people keep crossing on foot throughout construction, which calms worries about access for students and residents.

Federal funding covers everything. The weekday closures run through December, keeping disruption away from weekends when school isn't happening and traffic moves differently.

This project is one of many aging infrastructure upgrades happening across New Jersey. Rail crossings built over a century ago need modern safety standards and materials to handle today's traffic volumes.