NJ Transit says a crumbling rail bridge is safe. Orange residents aren’t sure.
Some of the concrete pillars are spalling - missing noticeable chunks that end up on the walkway. There are visible cracks underneath the bridge.
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Orange residents and city government have raised concerns over the safety of a set of rail bridges where the concrete is visibly crumbling. NJ Transit told News 12 that the bridge is safe for rail travel.
The Morris-Essex Line and Gladstone Branch make stops at Orange’s two train stations. In between, the railroad uses several bridges that pass over residential streets. Those near Glebe Street and Central Ave are in disrepair.
“They feel like this is just going to crumble on them one day,” said West Ward councilwoman Quantavia Hilbert.
“It's a hazard,” said resident Karen Wells. “That hits somebody's car? We're going to court.”
Some of the concrete pillars are spalling - missing noticeable chunks that end up on the walkway. There are visible cracks underneath the bridge.
Councilwoman Hilbert said she first heard about this issue two years ago. Mayor Dwayne Warren told News 12 that the city has raised these concerns to NJ Transit, and that city engineers are examining.
“We have a lot of students that are crossing this area, so I'm thinking about the safety matters,” Hilbert said. I'm also thinking about the cars that are coming here constantly.”
An agency spokesperson told News 12: “NJ TRANSIT inspects all of our bridges annually with in-house inspection teams. In addition, in-depth inspections are completed by external, independent consultants every five years, at which time the load carrying capacity of the bridge is evaluated to ensure that the structure remains safe for rail travel. In regards to this bridge, the latest in-depth inspection determined the bridge was, indeed, structurally safe for rail travel. Will continue to make necessary inspections.”
