NJDOT to reconstruct Route 94 bridges over
Paulins Kill and defunct NYS&W rail line in Blairstown

State-of-good-repair project will advance in stages

(Trenton) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a project to replace a culvert and two individual Route 94 bridge superstructures located over the Paulins Kill near Bridge Street and over the out-of-service NYS&W rail line, which is now the Paulinskill Valley Trail, near Cedar Lake Road in Blairstown, Warren County.

On Monday, May 12, NJDOT’s contractor, Konkus Corporation, is scheduled to begin utility work requiring the shoulder of Route 94 to be closed each day between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Route 94 carries one lane of traffic in each direction with shoulders on both sides. The contractor may close one lane as necessary between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will use flagmen to control alternating traffic.

The $4.7 million federally-funded project will replace the existing, structurally deficient bridge superstructures at both locations and make guide rail upgrades and some minor substructure repair. In addition, a nearby culvert running over another branch of the Paulins Kill will be replaced.

The Paulins Kill Bridge, constructed around 1931, consists of three spans approximately 161 feet long. The former NYS&W Railroad Bridge, also constructed around 1931, consists of a single span approximately 85 feet long. The culvert originally constructed in approximately 1900 and lengthened around 1930, consists of a three-sided reinforced concrete rigid frame with a span of approximately 12 feet. The length of the culvert is approximately 43 feet long.

The replacement of the superstructure at the Paulins Kill and former NYS&W Railroad Bridges will be performed in stages, closing one side of the bridge for reconstruction at a time with all traffic shifted onto the other half of the bridge. 

Bridge over Paulinskill Valley Trail
Stage 1 will begin this summer on the bridge over the former NS&W Railroad/Paulinskill Valley Trail. Traffic on Route 94 will be shifted onto one side of the bridge and maintained in both directions utilizing alternating traffic patterns, controlled by temporary traffic signals at Footbridge Lane and Cedar Lake Road (CR 616). 

During Stage 2, the contractor will close the other half of the bridge and shift all traffic onto the newly rebuilt side. The new bridge will be wider than the existing bridge, allowing for two-way traffic during this stage.

Bridge over Paulins Kill near Bridge Street
During Stage 3, the contractor will close half of the bridge over Paulins Kill near Bridge Street. Traffic on Route 94 will be shifted onto one side of the bridge and maintained in both directions utilizing alternating traffic patterns, controlled by temporary traffic signals at Bridge Street/Stillwater Road (CR 521) and Footbridge Lane. 

During Stage 4, the contractor will close the other half of the bridge and shift all traffic onto the newly rebuilt side. Like the bridge over the Paulinskill Valley Trail, the new bridge over the river will be wider than the existing bridge, allowing for two-way traffic during this stage.

Culvert Replacement
Work also will begin during Stage 3 to replace the culvert running over another branch of the Paulins Kill between Hope Road and Wester Terrace. Traffic on Route 94 will be shifted to one side of the road and maintained in both directions utilizing alternating traffic patterns, controlled by temporary traffic signals set a few hundred feet apart from each other.  Alternating traffic will be maintained throughout construction of both sides of the bridge.

Traffic will be maintained on Route 94 at all times during construction. NJDOT will provide notification to the public in advance of any stage changes. The projectis expected tobe completed in fall 2015.

NJDOT coordinated the construction staging and traffic impacts with officials from Blairstown. A public information center was held in Blairstown in December 2013 to provide residents and business owners the opportunity to review project plans and talk to key project personnel prior to construction.