Articles Roads and utilities
The Picket Place Bridge Replacement, Explained
Somerset County is replacing the 1979 Picket Place (County Route 567) bridge over the South Branch of the Raritan, which links Hillsborough and Branchburg. The project has been in the works since about 2017 and is now in preliminary engineering. The regional plan lists $18.616 million, with construction money only in 2030–2035. This explainer covers why the bridge is being replaced, the proposed design, the schedule, what is not known, and how to follow it.
What the bridge is
The Picket Place bridge, Somerset County bridge C0609, carries County Route 567 over the South Branch of the Raritan River between Branchburg and Hillsborough. It is a 355-foot, four-span concrete bridge built in 1979. According to MyCentralJersey, it was built because of weight limits and one-lane traffic on the nearby historic Elm Street bridge.
The county’s project website rates it:
- “Structurally Deficient”, because of the condition of its substructure;
- “Functionally Obsolete”, because of its deck geometry.
The regional funding plan describes the problem more plainly: the substructure “is in poor condition due to large spalls with exposed rusted reinforced steel,” and the ends of all the concrete beams are spalling. “This is a bridge replacement project.”
Who is doing it and how it is paid for
The bridge belongs to Somerset County, which is the project sponsor. The township does not own or run it. The county is using the federally funded Local Capital Project Delivery program, run with NJDOT’s Local Aid office (District 3) and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA). The project finished its concept stage in 2020 and was approved to move to preliminary engineering. Final design, right-of-way and construction come after that.
How it got here
- 2017. The project was first proposed (MyCentralJersey).
- May 2, 2019. First public information meeting, in Branchburg, on the purpose and need.
- October 17, 2019. Second public meeting, in Hillsborough’s municipal courtroom. The county showed its Preliminary Preferred Alternative.
- Summer 2020. Concept development finished, and the project was approved to move to preliminary engineering.
- August 16, 2023. The county sought an engineering consultant for that stage (RFP #CY-COM-9003-23).
- Fall 2024. Preliminary engineering began.
- April 17, 2025. First briefing for local officials (virtual).
- January 2026. The NJTPA’s Transportation Improvement Program listed the project at $18.616 million.
- October 26, 2026. A virtual public meeting was announced for this date to give a status update, review the plans, explain the scope and schedule of preliminary engineering, and take public feedback.
The proposed design
The project FAQ describes the Preliminary Preferred Alternative as having 12-foot lanes, 8-foot bicycle-compatible shoulders and a 6-foot sidewalk on the south side. The project’s documents library holds the 2019 boards for typical sections, construction staging and “Alternate 5”, an alternatives matrix and the recommended alternative.
Money and schedule
The Transportation Improvement Program (project DB N1807) shows:
| Phase | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Design | FY2027 | $1.900 million |
| Right-of-way | FY2028 | $0.050 million |
| Construction | 2030–2035 | $15.800 million |
| Estimated total | $18.616 million |
The construction money sits in the program’s “unconstrained” years, 2030–2035: planned, but beyond the four years the program actually funds. The project website says final design has an “Anticipated Start in 2028” and that the construction cost “is yet to be determined.” MyCentralJersey cited a 2021 estimate of $15.4 million.
The schedule has slipped. The project website still says preliminary engineering runs “Fall 2024 to Summer 2026” and lists a stakeholder meeting, a second officials’ briefing and the public meeting for 2025, all “TBD”. The public meeting was actually set for October 26, 2026.
What is not known
- What the October 26, 2026 meeting showed. As of October 29, the presentation and any revised schedule were not posted on the county page or the project website.
- Whether construction will close the road. No closure, detour or staged-construction plan has been published.
- The current cost. There are three figures: $15.4 million (2021, as reported), $18.616 million (the program’s total) and “not determined” for construction (the FAQ).
- When design money is spent. The program lists design money in fiscal 2027; the project website says final design starts in 2028. The record does not explain the difference.
- Whether the historic Elm Street bridge figures in the plans for traffic during construction.
- Any role for the township, such as sidewalk connections. LocalWhy found none in the Township Committee record.
What residents can do
- Get the meeting materials. Watch the county project page and the project website for the October 26 presentation, or ask the Somerset County Engineering Division for it.
- Comment while the design is open. The project is still in preliminary engineering, before final design. The October 26 meeting was billed as a chance for public feedback, and questions about closures, detours, the sidewalk and the bicycle shoulders can still go to the county.
- Read the 2019 materials. The documents library has the earlier presentations, the staging board and the preferred alternative.
- Watch the funding. Construction depends on the money moving from the 2030–2035 years into a funded year of a future Transportation Improvement Program.