Victory Bridge (New Jersey)

For other uses, see Victory Bridge (disambiguation).
Victory Bridge

The Victory Bridge as seen from the Edison Bridge
Coordinates 40°30′28″N 74°17′31″W / 40.50778°N 74.29194°W / 40.50778; -74.29194Coordinates: 40°30′28″N 74°17′31″W / 40.50778°N 74.29194°W / 40.50778; -74.29194
Carries Route 35 4 general purpose lanes, bicycle lanes, sidewalks
Crosses Raritan River
Locale Between Sayreville and Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey
Maintained by New Jersey Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design segmental precast concrete
History
Opened 1926 (original bridge, demolished 2004)
June 8, 2004 (new bridge)

The Victory Bridge is a highway bridge in the U.S. state of New Jersey that carries Route 35 over the Raritan River, connecting the Middlesex County communities of Perth Amboy on the north and Sayreville to the south. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).

Photo of the original Victory Bridge

The new bridge replaced the old Victory Bridge, a swing bridge dedicated to the U.S. troops who served in World War I and opened in 1926. At the time of its construction, the original 360-foot bridge (110 m) was the longest such structure in New Jersey.[1]

The new bridge consists of twin structures (northbound and southbound), each carrying two 12-foot travel lanes (3.7 m), a 10-foot bike lane/outside shoulder (3.0 m) and a 3-foot shoulder (0.91 m). The southbound bridge also has a 6-foot-wide sidewalk (1.8 m). The bridge was designed with a record-setting 134-meter main span (440 ft)—the longest precast cantilever segmental construction in the United States. To reduce the construction time, the NJDOT selected the segmental precast concrete construction method for both the superstructure and substructure. The department estimated that by using this type of approach, it would reduce the duration of construction by at least one year and save millions of dollars in life cycle costs.

Construction on the first half of the new high level fixed bridge across the Raritan River was completed on June 8, 2004. The old Victory Bridge was then demolished and the new northbound parallel bridge was constructed in its place. The new, northbound section of the bridge opened to traffic on September 2, 2005. The new high-level fixed bridge eliminates traffic delays caused when opening the former low-level swing bridge to allow boat traffic to pass through.

At each end of the new bridge are concrete stanchions, containing the original bridge's dedication plaque on one side and the new one's on the other. On the bridge's light poles, a feature arriving with the new bridge, are plaques honoring various battles in which American troops participated.

As of November 2014, 23 individuals have jumped off the new Victory Bridge.[2] In February 2011, The City of Perth Amboy sent a resolution to Governor Chris Christie and the New Jersey General Assembly requesting the addition of a fence along the Victory Bridge. Currently there are no phones along the bridge route but there are suicide hotline numbers listed along the bridge's route.[3] Following the temporary closure of the pedestrian sidewalks and bike lanes in October 2014, NJDOT officials installed five-foot-high (1.5 m) fences along both sides to prevent further suicides.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lettiere announces completion of Route 35 Victory Bridge and Victory Circle Project, New Jersey Department of Transportation press release dated October 27, 2005. "The original Route 35 Victory Bridge was built in 1926, connecting the municipalities of Perth Amboy City and Sayreville Borough in Middlesex County. The 360-foot structure was the longest swing-span bridge in New Jersey at the time it was built. The original bridge was commemorated to World War I veterans of New Jersey."
  2. 1 2 Attrino, Anthony G. (November 11, 2014). "Fence goes up on Victory Bridge, where 23 suicides have occurred (PHOTOS)". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ Rogers, Dan (February 29, 2012). "Officials seek to prevent suicides on Victory Bridge". The Daily Targum. New Brunswick, N.J. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
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