West Milford.The long awaited end to the Marshall Hill Road bridge construction project is finally at hand.
Passaic County officials notified Mayor Michele Dale on Tuesday that the construction, and the closing of the bridge during daytime hours, would likely be only days away.
According to the county, the road only needs milling and paving before being finished and permanently reopened.
“I am pleased the county appears to be ahead of schedule,” Dale said. “I remain in close contact with the administrator and it appears that the lines of communication and service to the township are improving for our residents.”
The bridge was replaced earlier this year, initially causing the heavily traveled stretch between Morsetown Road and Ridge Road to close for several months.
It reopened close to Christmas, but had to be sporadically closed again during the late winter and spring.
Most recently, Dale reached an agreement with the county to only close the bridge during working hours and reopen it nights and weekends.
It was supposed to remain closed through most of May, according to early estimates.
As of Thursday, the road had been milled and was awaiting good enough weather for paving.
If it all works out, officials think the work could be completed by this weekend or early next week.