Alternating traffic on Route 206 Thursday and Friday night for bridge repair project

Traffic will alternate on Route 206 overnight tonight and Friday as workers dismantle the Stony Brook bridge parapet, state officials announced this afternoon.

Beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 15 until 6 a.m. the next day, and again from 9 p.m. Friday, June 16 until 8 a.m. the next morning, the contractor for the bridge project will close one lane of Route 206 and maintain a single lane of alternating traffic.

The bridge has a posted weight limit of 20 tons. The following truck detour will continue for both directions of Route 206 until permanent repairs are complete:

Northbound – From Route 206 north take I-95 south to Route 31 north to Route 202 north back to Route 206 at the Somerville Circle.

Southbound – From Route 206 south take Route 202 south at the Somerville Circle to Route 31 south to I-95 north back to Route 206.

Later this summer, Route 206 will be closed completely, with a detour in place through the end of the year to allow for the reconstruction of the Stone Arch Bridge and the adjacent Flood Channel Bridge.

The project consists of rehabilitating the historic Stone Arch Bridge over the Stony Brook and replacing the adjacent Flood Channel Bridge. Both are located between Quaker Road near the Hun School and the Jasna Polana Country Club. The Stone Arch Bridge, constructed in 1792 and widened in 1916, was closed in February 2016 for emergency repairs following a partial parapet collapse. At that time, a weight limit of 20 tons was put into place with a truck detour, which will remain throughout construction.

The adjacent Flood Channel Bridge is in poor condition and will be replaced with a single-span bridge. It is being done at the same time as the Stone Arch Bridge rehabilitation to minimize the impact on commuters, officials said. The project also includes drainage improvements, the replacement of the existing guide rail, and the replacement and relocation of existing utilities.

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Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.