The previous bridge was constructed in 1995, and consisted of three spans comprised of weathering steel thru truss / floorbeam / stringer construction. Although in 1995 bridges constructed of this material were acceptable to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, it was later found that weathering steel utilized over waterways experienced rapid deterioration, so the DOT banned this use. Unfortunately, the Borough of Oakland was not spared this shortcoming of the material, and was saddled with a quickly deteriorating bridge that required a multi-million-dollar replacement.
Noting the deterioration, the Borough of Oakland turned to Boswell to plan and design the new superstructure before the bridge needed to be closed. With a projected cost of $8M, the bridge would be an unaffordable burden on the borough and so funding sources were sought. Ultimately, Boswell provided not only engineering and expertise, but was also instrumental in convincing the NJDOT to fund the project. Today, the bridge stands, under budget and in use ahead of schedule, as a testament to the many aspects in which a firm can positively impact its client.
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