Oak Ridge Reservoir Ghost Bridge

Newark was originally founded around 1666. By the early 1800’s, water had begun to be a major issue for the city. In 1845, the City entered into a contract with the Newark Aqueduct Company to supply the city with water for the extinguishment of fires (including washing and cleaning the firetrucks, hoses and other apparatuses). On September 24, 1889, the City entered into a contract with the East Jersey Water Company to supply water to the growing population of Newark. The contract specified that by May 1, 1892, the East Jersey Water Company would furnish a supply line of fifty million gallons daily. Part of this contract was to build several reservoirs in Northern New Jersey, including the Canistear, Charlotteburg, Clinton, Echo Lake and Oak Ridge (with the Wanaque Reservoir being added in the 1920’s).

The Oak Ridge Reservoir was built where the Villages of Oak Ridge and Wallace Corner were located. The towns were demolished and flooded, with one notable exception, the Ghost Bridge. This was the masonry deck arch bridge connected the village of Oak Ridge to the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. The bridge was useful in the construction of the new dam, so it was spared from demolition. Instead, it sits submerged below the reservoir. In times of droughts, the top of the bridge is visible.

In the fall of 2024, the Oak Ridge Reservoir was lowered so that work could be done on the dam. The Ghost Bridge was fully exposed and came back to life for a brief period. Many people took this opportunity to see the bridge and explore the reservoir.