Union Avenue Bridge | |
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| Coordinates | 40°50′30″N74°07′23″W / 40.84162°N 74.12301°W /40.84162; -74.12301 |
| Carries | Union Avenue (CR S32) to River Drive andRoute 21 |
| Crosses | Passaic River |
| Locale | Rutherford &Passaic, New Jersey |
| Other name | Douglas O. Mead Bridge |
| Owner | Bergen County and Passaic County |
| Maintained by | NJDOT |
| ID number | 1600022[1] |
| Preceded by | 1896; 129 years ago (1896) |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel/concrete |
| Total length | 295.9 feet (90.2 m) |
| Width | 39 feet (12 m) |
| Longest span | 80.1 feet (24.4 m) |
| No. of spans | 4 |
| Clearance above | 16.1 feet (4.9 m) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | M.J. Paquet, Inc[2] |
| Construction cost | $9.5m |
| Opened | 2002; 23 years ago (2002) |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Union Avenue Bridge | |
| References | |
| [3][4][5] | |
Union Avenue Bridge is avehicular bridge over thePassaic River innortheastern New Jersey, crossing the county line at the town ofRutherford inBergen County and the city ofPassaic inPassaic County.[6] It takes its name from Union Avenue (CR S32) in Rutherford which connects to River Drive (and access toRoute 21) in Passaic. The two-lane, four-span fixed bridge which opened in 2002 is 13.2 miles (21.2 km) from the river's mouth atNewark Bay.[7] There is another Union Avenue Bridge traversing the Passaic atLittle Falls
The bridge replaced an earlier structure built in 1896.[5] In 1963 it was struck by a barge which left it damaged; requiring it remain in the open position for two weeks.[8] It was dedicated to Douglas O. Mead (1894–1971), a World War I and World War II veteran.
The Pratt thru truss swing span supported on ashlar and concrete substructure has double intersecting Warren deck truss approach spans. In 1924 the bridge operation was motorized. Cables were added at an unknown date to strengthen several truss diagonals. In 1977 an approach span collapsed and emergency repairs were made. An early and increasingly rare example of a thru truss swing bridge built by nationally recognized NYC engineers Dean and Westbrook, the span is evaluated as eligible.
Crossings of thePassaic River | ||||
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