Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-08-03
SAY BRIDGE To
REOPEN SOON.
Claims Of State Highway
Commission Contrary to
Reports Given Out at Job

According to information given
out by the office Of the State High
way Commission at Trenton this
morning the state bridge connecting
this city and South Amboy will be
thrown open to trafic once more,
either the latter part of this week
or the fore part of next.
This information comes rather as
surprise to all concerned, for i.
has been known fact that work
at the bridge was progressing slowly
and that there had been a decided
cut In the force of men employed.
A visit to the bridge yesterday by
an EVENING NEWS reporter dis
closed the fact that the disabled draw
has just been. raised to the required
height and that work was going on
slowly in the replacing of the striped
gears and worn track. It was given
out unofficially that the work might
be held up until some time after
Labor Day due to the fact that the
plans of the draw, as IL was originally
built. have become lost and there was
no way of telling just exactly what
mechanism was required until the old
parts had been. removed and
examined.
The track upon which the draw
revolves. and which has been grad
ually giving way under the heavy
traffic for the past several years,
was removed from its place yester-
day and carefully collected and laid
out upon the crane that is used in
the construction work. Yesterday
the track was gone and coupled
with this comes the announcement
that the New Jersey Bridge Com
pany of Manasquan. who had
something to do with the original
construction of the draw. and have
since gone out Of existence, failed to
preserve the plans or specifications,
thus necessitating the old track to
be used as a pattern from which
the new one will yet have to be
made.
4 No new gears have as yet been
placed. though there are several
lying by that can be swung into
place just as soon as their beds are
ready to receive them.
Recent discoveries have unearfh-
ed the fact tt,ss tt.,.sss.s.-ttssze tia poor condition
was known for some time; that two
years ago the bridge did not con-
ceal the secret that In places the
track on the draw had worn through
to it's concrete bed. though just
why II ndu Deen allowed TO remain
open while in such shape OF de-
cay, or why 1t had not been repaired
while the bridge was closed during
the past winter to allow the replace
ing of a section several hundred
feet in length that had been washed
away by the spring freshets cannot
be ascertained.
1t had been hoped by the men Of
the State Highway Department that
the bridge would continue to be
passable until this fall at least, when
its closing would not cause so much
inconvenience The fact is under
stood that a donkey engine and
block and tackle were to be rugged
up to facilitate the closing OF the
draw. when conditions became
known that an immediate repair
And now with the announcement
given out that the bridge will soon
be reopened 1t is possible that
great rush of work will be started
on the disabled span within the
next day or so. With the new
mechanism yet to be placed, and
possibly a new bed of concrete to be
put in place the fact is inevitable
that vigorous work will have TO be-
gin in order that the draw may be
swung closed at the promised time.