Oak Ridge Reservoir Box Culvert

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 Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike was first built in 1806. Once the Oak Ridge Reservoir was built, the turnpike traveled directly along it’s bank. However, the road would frequently flood, so it was moved to higher ground in sometime around 1927. The roadway was upgraded again in 1969, which is when this culvert was constructed.

In the fall of 2024, the Oak Ridge Reservoir was lowered during a draught so that work could be done on the dam. At this time, the culvert was exposed.