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The German Valley Historic District bridge is "a historic landmark in Long Valley and a vital link for local residents," officials said.

|Updated Thu, Jun 15, 2023 at 2:19 pm ET

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Summer construction around the nearly 150-year-old South Branch bridge on Schooley's Mountain Road is about to begin.

Morris County officials will begin repairing the stone arch bridge on Schooley's Mountain Road that spans the Raritan River's south branch on Friday.

The project will cost around $1 million and will include rebuilding the span's downstream wall as well as installing lightweight concrete and a waterproof membrane atop the arches, extending the bridge's lifespan by 30 to 40 years.

The upstream wall will not be rehabilitated because it is still in excellent condition following the addition of a walkway and concrete reinforcement on that side of the bridge in 1994, officials said.

According to officials, the township will incur no project fees because the county is fully funding the project.

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The bridge in Long Valley's German Valley Historic District is "a historic landmark in Long Valley and a vital link for local residents," according to the county.

The current bridge was built in 1906 and replaced the original structure, which was built in 1876.

"This is not going to be a fun place to drive around this summer. Sorry. But this is one of those things when you have historic structures, like we have, especially ones that everybody drives over 12 times a day, eventually, it has to be replaced," Washington Township Mayor Matt Murello said.

Steel arches were installed to support the stonework during a 1994 restoration, but part of the wall has deteriorated to the point where it requires full reconstruction above the arches, according to county officials.

The most recent restoration comes after emergency repairs were completed in February after a car collision damaged the bridge.

During the first phase of the project, the southbound lane of Schooley's Mountain Road will be closed while the contractor removes and rebuilds the wall, except from June 19 to June 23, when the bridge will be completely closed to all traffic from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The county estimates that the work will take 51 days, during which time northbound traffic will be able to cross the bridge as usual.

After the wall is rebuilt, the bridge will be completely closed for the remainder of the project to allow the contractor to remove and replace all material above the stone arches. This work is expected to take 21 days to complete, with the goal of completing the entire project by Aug. 23, 2023, when school reopens.

During the bridge construction, motorists will be detoured along Flocktown Road, Naughright Road, and Bartley Road.

For the duration of the project, the county will install temporary traffic signals at the intersections of Flocktown and Naughright, as well as Naughright Road and Fairview Avenue.

Officials stated that no construction work is planned for Sundays, but some construction work may occur on Saturdays and during the week. They may be forced to work on Sundays if the project takes longer than expected.

"What's important is that everyone during the summer will have access from north or south to all the township facilities, the senior center, everything in Rock Spring Park, as well as all the way down to the church. It's just going to have to be a little creative," Murello said.

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This summer, Morris County residents can look forward to a newly restored bridge over the South Branch on Schooley's Mountain Road.

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Motorists should plan for detours this summer as Morris County plans to restore a historic bridge on Schooley's Mountain Road.

Long Valley residents can expect a newly restored bridge across the South Branch on Schooley's Mountain Road, as the County of Morris Department of Public Works Division of Engineering & Transportation has planned a complete restoration.

The bridge, a local landmark and vital link, has been in desperate need of repairs for some time, officials said.

The construction plans, which are set to begin in June, will include inspecting and repointing the arches, replacing the soil material above the arches with lightweight concrete, installing a waterproof membrane, restoring the stone parapet walls and repaving the roadway.

The construction was originally scheduled to begin in 2024, but plans were changed to expedite the process.

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Due to the recent damage to the parapet wall on the west side of the structure from two recent crashes, the County felt it was in the best interest of public safety to accelerate a larger rehabilitation project originally scheduled for 2024 to this summer 2023," the County of Morris Dept. of Public Works Division of Engineering & Transportation said.

The county collaborated with Washington Township and its emergency services to plan this work and the detour routes.

During the construction period, southbound traffic (coming down Schooley's Mountain towards the intersection with Route 513) will be detoured for the entire time. Northbound traffic will be maintained across the bridge for the first stage, which will last approximately 51 days.

During stage two, the entire bridge will be closed for 21 calendar days.

The main detour route will be Flocktown Road to Naughright Road to Bartley Road back to East Mill Road. Residents and motorists who are accustomed to using Schooley's Mountain Road to get around will notice a significant change.

The project is expected to take 72 calendar days to complete, with the bridge reopened in time for the start of the new school year this summer. Longer workdays and weekend work are expected to ensure that the project is completed as soon as possible.

"While we understand this is a hardship to anyone traversing the bridge, this historic arch bridge has served the community for 120 years and is in need of rehabilitation work to allow it to continue to be of use for the community well into the future," officials said.

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Schooley's Mountain Bridge is undergoing a lengthy rehabilitation project that will hopefully finish before the start of the school year.

|Updated Thu, Jul 27, 2023 at 11:09 pm ET

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Residents have had to deal with more traffic and lengthy detours around Long Valley's center as the county continues to work on the 150-year-old Long Valley Mountain Road stone bridge.

The bridge, which closed down fully for Phase 2 in order to allow the contractor to remove and replace all material above the stone arches, has not been closed since July 10.

Weather permitting, county officials in charge of bridge maintenance have said that the work is expected to take 21 days to complete.

Washington Township Mayor Matthew Murello has since stated that the project is moving ahead of schedule and that he is hopeful that the township will be able to re-open the road earlier than initially planned.

To complete this project as quickly as possible, construction has been taking place Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and most Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., officials said.

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The mayor stated that the town is anticipating getting an update on the potential new reopening date by the end of this week.

Phase 1 of the project, which began on June 16, was completed in less than the 51 days that had been planned.

"The goal is to finish the entire project by the time school reopens on August 23, 2023. However, since Phase 2 is starting sooner, the county hopes to have the roadway reopened prior to August 23, weather permitting," county spokesperson Vincent Vitale said.

For the duration of the project, temporary traffic signals have been installed at Naughright Road and Flocktown Road, as well as Naughright Road and Fairview Avenue. Detour signs have been installed for the full closure, and traffic will be redirected to Flocktown Road, Naughright Road, and Bartley Road.

The bridge's width will not be altered during construction.

The million-dollar project, which includes rebuilding the downstream wall and removing all material above the stone arches, will be funded by Morris County.

According to county engineers, the plans also include the installation of lightweight concrete and a new waterproof membrane on top of the arches, which will extend the bridge's life by 30 to 40 years.

The Washington Township Committee will once again discuss the potential redevelopment plan for the Cleveland Industrial Center.

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The Washington Township Committee will once again discuss the future redevelopment plan for the Cleveland Industrial Center, located at 20 Parker Road.

Plans for the site's redevelopment were first made public last month when the committee reviewed the draft of the ordinance, which would allow the township's zoning code to be amended.

The change was required to increase the number of permitted uses for the property.

The Cleveland Industrial Center, a 17.5-acre site on Parker Road, falls under the township's OR/I (Office Research/Industrial Zone), which has 17 permitted uses according to the township code.

Under those permitted uses, the township would be unable to develop a commercial recreation area, which the ordinance seeks to remedy.

Find out what's happening in Long Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The ordinance calls for the addition of three new uses, which can be seen here:

The Cleaveland Industrial Center has a more than five-decade history of industrial operations.

During the 1940s, the US government manufactured explosives at the site. In 1947, the property was sold to a private company, and it has been used as an industrial park since the 1950s.

According to reports, a tenant that produced sodium and iodine salts discharged its process wastewater directly onto the ground behind the complex. Lanterman Machine and Tools, Inc., another tenant, is accused of discharging hazardous waste into septic systems.

When Fabritex Mills, a manufacturing plant, stopped operations at the site in 1986, it left behind approximately 1,000 containers of chemicals, including flammable solvents, caustics, dry chemicals and laboratory reagents, NJDEP said.

During the 1980s, 17 private potable wells in the area were found to be contaminated with volatile organic compounds at levels exceeding New Jersey Drinking Water Standards.

Washington Township has long been aware of the extensive environmental damage caused by the Cleaveland Industrial Site.

According to the 2009 Master Plan Reexamination Report, "the optimum redevelopment potential to address local priorities at this site will be nonresidential, employment-generating uses, and potentially mixed use, including residential use, depending on the condition of the site after clean-up and a local evaluation of the best reuse of the site."

While the redevelopment is not expected to result in significant changes or increases in population density, it is anticipated that the project will have traffic impacts both during and after construction.

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A Best of NJ list naming the best barbecue in the state featured a popular Long Valley location.

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Most people don't think of New Jersey when they think of delicious barbecue, but there are still plenty of options for BBQ fans in the Garden State.

One Long Valley restaurant has been named one of the state's best barbecue joints for 2023, according to a report.

Website Best of NJ put together a list of the best BBQ restaurants in New Jersey, and Pulled Fork BBQ ranked as one of the top North Jersey spots.

Mike Meredith founded Pulled Fork BBQ, which is located at 38 E Mill Road in Long Valley, in 2019.

According to the restaurant's website, Meredith moved to New Jersey from Texas in 1999 and quickly realized that barbecue in the Garden State meant hamburgers and hot dogs, not the ribs, smoked brisket, pulled pork, and smoked sausage he was used to in Texas.

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Meredith started building drum smokers as a hobby and experimented with different recipes and techniques, eventually developing his own smoking style that reminded him of the Central-East Texas BBQ he craved.

"Menu mainstays include pulled pork and Texas brisket available by the pound. Other fan favorites include pulled-pork sandwiches, a Texas reuben, and sausage or pork tacos. Homemade sides, burgers, hot dogs, and desserts are also available," Best of NJ wrote.

Pulled Fork BBQ is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until it runs out of food. The closing time for each day is announced on the website and on the chalkboard out front.

Since its inception in 2014, Pulled Fork BBQ has made a name for itself in Morris County, even receiving a nod from NJ.com's team of food reporters who ranked New Jersey's 33 best barbecue restaurants.

"We are a small family business, working hard and doing what we love. We are thankful for the opportunity to pursue our dream, and for your friendship and support," the restaurant wrote.

Check out the full list of the "Best BBQ Restaurants in New Jersey" at Best of NJ.