Boonton Railroad Bridge
NBI Information
Location
State: New Jersey
County: Morris County
Feature Carried: New Jersey Transit Montclair-Boonton Line
Feature Crossed: Rockaway River
Latitude, Longitude: 40.9028, -74.40987
Structure Open, Posted, or Closed to Traffic: Active Rail Line
History
Year Built: 1880
Picture Date: December 16, 2023
Geometry
Lanes on Structure: 2
Lanes under Structure: 0
Number of Main Spans: 1
Main Structure Type: Truss - Deck
Main Structure Material: Metal
Condition
Bridge is not on the National Bridge Inventory
Bridge Information
The Boonton Railroad Bridge is an interesting example of a bridge that has been modified many times to keep it functional. The bridge currently has three sets of trusses, although the abutments have space for a fourth set to be added in the future. It is not clear when each of the truss sets were constructed, but it is likely that the original bridge was built in the 1880’s and the additional truss sets were added in the early 20th century. Once the bridge was widened, it carried two sets of tracks, although one set has been removed in recent years.
The bridge is owned and operated by New Jersey Transit and is part of the Montclair-Boonton Line. It is a rivet-connected Warren Deck Truss.
References
Historic Bridges: https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=newjersey/boontonrr2/
