Route 206 in Princeton to re-open

Some good news for Route 206 drivers: the bridge over the Stony Brook in Princeton will re-open to cars on Sunday night.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation said emergency repairs to the 224-year-old bridge are complete but a 20-ton limit will be in place on the bridge when traffic is allowed back on the bridge at 8 p.m. Trucks will not be allowed to use the crossing until summer.

The bridge had been closed to all traffic for over a week following the discovery of cracks in the stone arches that support the structure. Crews also discovered significant scour, which is the washing away of sand and rocks, at the footing of the bridge. Repairs had also just started for the repair of a fallen protective wall called a parapet and traffic had been reduced to alternating one lane of traffic.

The DOT said a portable dam was installed around the footing of the bridge to address the scour. In addition, drainage improvements were made to reduce the impact of potential flooding or water damage due to heavy rains. The bridge was also repaved.

The bridge could still be closed to all traffic overnights and during off-peak hours as repairs continue to the stone bridge which was built by hand in 1792 and is New Jersey's oldest bridge still in use.

The following truck detour will be in place for both directions of Route 206:

• Route 206 southbound: make a right onto Georgetown Franklin Road/CR 518, a left onto Hopewell Princeton Road and a right onto Route 206 southbound.
• Route 206 northbound: make left onto Carter Road, a right onto Georgetown Franklin Road/CR 518, and a left onto Route 206 northbound.