Motorists may be experience delays as the projects take place on the Grove Street bridge and Cuthbert Boulevard bridge.
Construction along two bridges passing over Cooper River will be kicking off next week in Cherry Hill Township.
Construction on the Grove Street bridge and Cuthbert Boulevard bridge will begin on or about July 23. Both bridges lead into Cherry Hill Township. The projects are expected to be completed prior to the start of the school year, but the exact timing may change due to weather and other factors.
“Improving our roadway and bridge infrastructure while increasing highway safety is one of the best investments we can make in our county,” said Camden County Freeholder Susan Shin Angulo, liaison to the Department of Public Works. “Based on structural conditions of both spans it was imperative we get this work done right away. Furthermore, for this construction to be effective cars cannot travel over the portion of the bridge being worked on, which will facilitate at least one shutdown on the northbound lane of Grove Street going towards Route 70 from Haddonfield to Cherry Hill.”
Traffic controls measures will be implemented at both bridges. At Grove Street, traffic will not be permitted to travel northbound, from Haddonfield toward Route 70 for the duration of the project. A detour will be implemented at Kings Highway and will take traffic around the work zone on Park Boulevard. Southbound traffic into Haddonfield will remain open for the duration of the project.
During peak travel times, local police departments will manually control traffic signals for the one-way detour at the intersections of Kings Highway and Park Boulevard and Park Boulevard and Grove Street to mitigate delays.
On Cuthbert Boulevard, crews will maintain a single lane of traffic in both directions. The contractor will close the left lane in both directions on the bridge during construction, however the right lane, in both directions, will remain open for the duration of the project.
“Motorists need to be aware of the construction taking place and plan their daily commutes accordingly. I am more than confident that these infrastructure projects will cause some congestion in the immediate area,” Shin Angulo said. “Whenever you are driving through a road construction zone, please stay prepared for traffic pattern changes and be observant of posted instructions or directions.”
The $1 million projects funded by the state Department of Transportation Local Bridge Future Needs fund will include strengthening of the weakened beams by the addition of steel angles, steel plate, and steel channels to the webs and flanges of the affected beams as specified by the engineer. The work shall include traffic control and maintenance, cleaning and painting of steel, and the installation of reinforced concrete diaphragms.
“As this project progresses the Department of Public Works will keep the public apprised of all lane closures and detour changes,” Shin Angulo continued. “The contractor has said they expect to finish the work prior to the start of the school year and we are going to do everything we can to maintain that timeline. Nevertheless, projects like this can be unpredictable when waterways and weather are factored in.”
