William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge |
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| Carries |  I-280 |
| Crosses | Passaic River |
| Locale | Newark and East Newark, New Jersey |
| Owner | New Jersey Department of Transportation |
| ID number | 0731161 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Vertical-lift truss |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 687.6 feet (209.6 meters) |
| History | |
| Inaugurated | May 1, 1949 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 120,000 |
The William A. Stickel Memorial Bridge is a special kind of bridge in New Jersey. It crosses the Passaic River, connecting the cities of Newark and East Newark. This bridge is an important part of Interstate 280.
The bridge is named after William A. Stickel. He was a civil engineer from Newark. He worked for Essex County for more than 20 years.
This bridge was built between 1948 and 1949. It was first known as Route 25A. The New Jersey Department of Transportation owns and takes care of it. The bridge is about 209.6 meters (687.6 feet) long. It opened on May 1, 1949. In 1971, it became part of the interstate highway system.
The Stickel Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge. This means a section of the bridge can be lifted straight up. This allows tall boats to pass underneath. The movable part of the bridge is about 41.9 meters (137.5 feet) long.
It is one of the few movable bridges left on the Interstate Highway System. A person called a "drawtender" used to operate the bridge. They would open it for boats. The bridge rarely opens now. If it needs to open, the New Jersey Department of Transportation needs 24 hours' notice.
The bridge has six lanes for cars. Four lanes are for regular traffic. Two lanes are for cars getting on and off Route 21 at Exit 15, which is just west of the bridge.
Bridge Upgrades
In 2001, a report from the New Jersey Department of Transportation said the Stickel Bridge was "structurally deficient and functionally obsolete." This means it was old and not working as well as it should. Officials started thinking about fixing or replacing it.
Inspectors found that the top parts (superstructure) and bottom parts (substructure) of the bridge were in "poor" condition. This was because of cracks in the walls and a lot of rust on the metal parts. Also, the road surface, which is made of steel grates, was narrow. The ramps leading to local streets were also tight. These issues led to many accidents on the bridge.
To help with safety, the New Jersey Department of Transportation lowered the speed limit on the bridge. It was reduced to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour).
In May 2008, the bridge was finally fixed up. Workers repaired its mechanical systems. They also removed the old black paint and gave it a new light blue color.
