Alexander Railroad Bridge
Alexander Railroad bridge, 2026.
Historical Overview
|
In the late 1800s, West Windsor had no bridge over the railroad tracks. Instead, Princeton Hightstown Road, Alexander/North Post Roads, Clarksville/Meadow Roads, and Quakerbridge Road all featured at-grade crossings, which grew more dangerous with increasing traffic.
In 1895, the railroad's owners, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company (PRR), presented a solution to West Windsor's Township Committee: to replace "the V.D. & (Jediah) Stout’s Crossing" [Clarksville/Meadow Roads] … and the Spitz and Jessup crossings [North Post/Alexander Roads]” with bridges. These crossings were named after the families that lived at those locations – those of Jediah Stout, William Jessup, and Joseph Spitz.[1] "Stouts bridge" and "Jessup's bridge" were built by the next year. These colloquial names were used until at least the 1930s (if not later).[2] |
Jessup's Crossing, 1894.
|
|
The original Alexander Road bridge was possibly of wood construction (side-walls and wood-planked bridge deck), as the original Clarksville Road bridge was known to be. However, in 1940, the cinders which made up the embankment of the Alexander bridge caught fire and smoldered for several weeks.[3] This may have been a reason that the bridge was replaced in 1941.[4]
The new bridge was metal and concrete, with two narrow driving lanes and no shoulders nor sidewalks.[5] Alexander and North Post Roads formed a T-intersection southeast of the railroad (see the next two images). However, as the years passed, the bridge became increasingly clogged with traffic, and structurally deficient, so by the early 2000s, discussions resumed on replacing the bridge again.[6] |
N Post & Alexander crossing, circa 2005.
|
|
Some residents opposed building a wider structure, citing concerns that it would encourage more traffic (especially through Berrien City and past Maurice Hawk school).[7] Others disagreed, saying that a wider bridge was needed to help them get through town.[8] And even more were more concerned about the placement of the bridge itself - such as famed Nobel Prize winner John Nash and his wife, Alicia, who were concerned their Berrien City home would be condemned were the bridge to be built further north to align directly with Alexander Road.[9]
Ultimately, it was decided that the dilapidated bridge would be rebuilt virtually in place.[10] On July 30, 2007, ground was broken on the new bridge, just a few dozen feet southwest of, and parallel to, the old one.[11],[12] The new design featured two travel lanes with shoulders and sidewalks on each side and an elevated roundabout at Alexander and North Post Roads.[13] Meanwhile, the old bridge was torn down and a portion of the old road turned into a back-street, over which the new embankment holding up the roundabout loomed (see the image at the top of this article). The $24+ million bridge was first reopened December 5, 2008 and has served ever since.[14],[15] |
Alexander Railroad Bridge, 2002.
|
Bibliography
- “West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
- Ibid.
- "Cinder Embankment Under Bridge Has Been Burning for Two Weeks." Princeton Herald. September 13, 1940.
- “West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
- Personal recollection of the author of this article (Paul Ligeti).
- "New law will build a few bridges." The Times (Trenton). November 14, 2000.
- "Letters - Whose bridge is it, anyway?" Trenton Evening Times. March 25, 2001.
- "Highway." The Trentonian. May 14, 2001.
- "Nashes make plea to spare their home." The Times (Metro Prinnceton). March 13, 2002.
- "Alexander Road bride to be rebuilt in place." The Times (Metro Princeton). April 4, 2002.
- "State Report Fails WW Bridge." West Windsor and Plainsboro News. August 10, 2007.
- Personal recollection of the author of this article (Paul Ligeti).
- "Alexander Bridge Faces Delays." U.S. 1. October 8, 2008.
- “West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center. Specifically Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh's "State of the Township" address on March 2, 2009.
- "Alexander Road Bridge Reopens." West Windsor and Plainsboro News. December 5, 2008.
