Van Cleef was contracted by East Windsor Township to provide final design and post-design construction support services for the rehabilitation of the Wiltshire Park Pedestrian Bridge over Bear Brook.

The existing structure is a 4’-8”-wide, 30-foot-long, single-span, two-girder system supported by concrete abutments and previously served as a key route for local children to get to school before its closure due to poor condition. The bridge deck and superstructure were beyond repair and required full replacement. The final design proposed replacing the bridge deck and superstructure in-kind while maintaining the existing bridge width, structural depth, and low chord elevation, and improving aesthetics while bringing the bridge up to current codes. Upgrades include using galvanized steel with a duplex paint system, installing an AASHTO-compliant railing, and utilizing advanced PVC deck boards. Repairs to the bridge seat, including the construction of a header, are also proposed. Approach sidewalks are being replaced and improved to meet ADA requirements.

A unique and significant challenge for this project was the accelerated timeline from Notice to Proceed through construction completion (less than nine months), driven by the Client’s requirement for the bridge to reopen by the start of the 2025–2026 school year. This challenge was further amplified by the bridge’s location below the flood hazard elevation, necessitating that both design and construction comply with NJDEP permit-by-rule requirements to meet the project deadline.