<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=31MtvK_0vip6bfL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=31MtvK_0vip6bfL00" width="1200" height="900" ></figure>A series of lane shifts on Route 42 North in the Bellmawr area have been taking place over the last few weeks, with the goal being to create a large center work area for construction crews working on the Browning Road bridge replacement project.The replacement Browning Road Bridge rebuild is part of the almost One Billion Dollar project in Camden County NJ called Direct Connect.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4HrC48_0vip6bfL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4HrC48_0vip6bfL00" width="1200" height="900" ><figcaption>Direct Connect Rt 42 North – Browning Road Bridge Rebuild (Sept 2024)</figcaption></figure>Recently the core Route 42 North roadway had been split into two left/right segments (of two lanes each) which provided a very temporary middle work area for crews to asphalt those lanes ahead of additional lane shifting.It is expected that come Wednesday morning, all four lanes of the core Route 42 Northbound roadway will be rejoined together again, shifted over to the right side.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=31gUPX_0vip6bfL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=31gUPX_0vip6bfL00" width="1200" height="900" ><figcaption>Direct Connect – Top Depicts Route 42 North Split, Bottom after lane shift</figcaption></figure>With Route 42 Northbound lanes shifted far right this will leave a wide work construction area in the center of Route 42.This center work area is needed for the Browning Road Bridge replacement project so that heavy equipment and crews can be safely brought in to demolish the old bridge support piers, and then rebuild the new piers which will support the still-to-be-constructed new bridge.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0umUla_0vip6bfL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0umUla_0vip6bfL00" width="1200" height="900" ><figcaption>Direct Connect Browning Road Bridge Old Piers To Be Replaced (Sept 2024)</figcaption></figure>This phase of the Browning Road Bridge rebuild comes after workers recently completed the Eastern abutment for the bridge… which has made the efforts to create dedicated and safe work areas for crews in multiple facets of the bridge project, extra challenging!That abutment project (far right side of 42 North) had its own requirements for dedicated work area lanes on that far right side. This caused Route 42 North to be shifted to the left.Once that abutment project was completed, the next phase is that center pier… and that then required a work area in the middle… and all the lanes then needed to be shifted right!<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4OQACH_0vip6bfL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4OQACH_0vip6bfL00" width="1200" height="900" ><figcaption>Work Zone was far right on Route 42 North for abutment work, now it’s being shifted left (to center)</figcaption></figure>To ensure that traffic continued flowing at all times on Route 42 North, the effort to shift those lanes over was spread out over many days.Good news is it appears that once this new support pier is completed they should be able to move into the construction of the permanent Browning Road bridge. I do not have timing on that aspect.Once the lane shifting is completed this week, NJDOT says that this Route 42 North configuration (with the center work lane) will be in place for several years… but don’t be alarmed as that does not mean the Browning Road bridge will take that long to complete!<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0iM7lK_0vip6bfL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0iM7lK_0vip6bfL00" width="1200" height="900" ><figcaption>Direct Connect Rt 42 North – Browning Road Bridge Rebuild (Sept 2024)</figcaption></figure>Something I haven’t focused a lot on in my coverage (that I may do a video to explain) is that there are a lot more support piers to be developed in this section South of Browning Road bridge.A high-level summary (literally)… well, I think everyone realizes that the new Route 295 roadway through this project will be going up over top of Browning Road, right? (I did just review some aspects of that in my prior coverage/video on the Direct Connect project back in July)<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1vB8sh_0vip6bfL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1vB8sh_0vip6bfL00" width="1080" height="810" ><figcaption>Depiction of Route 295 and 42 North (to 295) Going OVER Browning Road. They will need supports to stay up, of course!</figcaption></figure>Well as you would expect, the massive raised roadway segments need to be supported by some means… Which in this case is many carefully engineered and placed support piers.In some situations they will have to use a technique that was successfully utilized in the Missing Moves project, which is to suspend massive horizontal steel beams across two piers so that the roadway above can sit across the beam. This design pattern is perfect for when the best support point for the overhead roadway has a lower roadway directly underneath.So simply… it appears that the project will maintain the current lane and work area configurations for a few years as the support columns and other overhead Route 295 work is developed.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Route 42 North Bellmawr Lanes Shift To Right, Ahead of Browning Bridge Pier Build

A series of lane shifts on Route 42 North in the Bellmawr area have been taking place over the last few weeks, with the goal being to create a large center work area for construction crews working on the Browning Road bridge replacement project. The replacement Browning Road Bridge rebuild...