Taft Avenue footbridge over Route 80 in Woodland Park to reopen soon
By: Matt Fagan
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
WOODLAND PARK - Although the Squirrelwood Road bridge replacement won't be completed until fall of 2026, a year behind schedule, the replacement of the Taft Avenue pedestrian bridge is expected to be finished by the end of this year, [2025] said state Transpiration Department officials.
.....
on October 18, [2025] the new structure was moved into place, state transportation offices said. The work was performed late at night and forced the temporary closure of both sides of Route 80, local officials said.
..... For months the prefabricated replacement bridge for the span, which allows pedestrians to cross over Route 80, has been resting on the side of the highway, waiting to be installed. it will reconnect Taft Avenue to Mary Avenue.
..... "The first concrete pour is complete, and the second and final concrete pour is expected in the next week," said Stephen Schapiro, press manager at the Transportation Department.
..... "Once that is done, the ramp that connects to the bridge needs to be complete, and there is some electrical work and installation of fiber-optic cable necessary to restore a traffic camera," he said.
..... The bridge, local officials said, plays an important role because it connects two disjointed sections of the town.
..... "As far as the walk bridge, while a lot of people didn't think it got much traffic, it does," Woodland Park Mayor Tracy Kallert said. "Many of the students from Berkeley use that walk bridge to and from the college due to the limited bus routes."
..... Borough Administrator Sam Yodice said the bridge also connects a school and parks to the other side of town.