New Jersey Roads - Musconetcong River Bridges

Musconetcong River bridges

All of the bridges featured on this page cross into Lebanon Twp. on the Hunterdon County side, so I separated the relatively distant Mount Joy Rd. Bridge to its own page. Check it out, come back here.
Point Mountain Road


This bridge dates to the 1880s, making it the newest one featured on this page. Unfortunately, it has since been replaced. I have no idea if it was preserved, but my spidey senses aren't tingling in a positive way.


Before I cross the bridge, why are there sandals glued to this tree? Where is the person?


Heading south from Port Murray into Lebanon. The Smith Bridge Co. and L-25-W plaques are both on the right hand side of the bridge; the latter is the official Inter-County Bridge designation.


Looking east (upstream) and west.
Changewater Road, Changewater Trestle


So the bridge was razed, what's there to see here? Depends how much you like ENGINEERING MEGALITHS. Oh, okay then. This bridge stood in service for nearly a century, though not active at the very end, with the track coming online in 1862. The trestle was built by the Warren Railroad Company to connect the Central Railroad to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western.


No slouch itself, the Changewater Rd. bridge that carries CR 645 was built in 1900. This is the all original west side of the bridge.


The east side of the bridge has a pedestrian walkway with this old decorative fence. So how do I know the fence isn't original?


When something juts out from the side of a bridge like this... not original. Still old, mind you. This is why I started with the west side. That and it didn't tell me it was dangerous.


One more roadway bridge view looking north toward Warren's Washington Twp., then some views east along the Musconetcong.


Here's the view west along the river and THERE'S THE MEGALITH. So this would be one of the piers supporting the trestle high above the Musconetcong River Valley as it crossed from north to south. Part of one, anyway. Let's look some more.


Let's start in the north. This looks north at the northern abutment, with what looks like two closely spaced stone piers in the descending hillside before the main trestle span gets going.


This is the next pier south, which you can see sits near a small brook or culvert crossing along CR 645. For reference, the road is heading northwest in this west-facing photo, while the rail line is nearly due north-south.


The third pier from the north is the one I teased you with, right along the riverbank. The first photo looks south and the others look north along the alignment of the railroad. You can see that the tracks sat on the west side of the pier, and this isn't just a result of erosion. East is upstream, so erosion was being considered.


As I walk south across the bridge, the south abutment comes into view, along with its closely spaced first pier. Need info? Find it on the south shore along CR 645. (So, Warren CR 645 is Changewater Rd. from the bridge north. Hunterdon CR 645 follows the river on Musconetcong River Rd. Fortunately, neither county recognizes the others' routes' existence, so no sign confusion to be had, or any county route signs at all.)
New Hampton Bridge


Seen from the Lebanon, Shoddy Mill Rd. Bridge side. Those in Washington would call it the Rymon Rd. Bridge, so "New Hampton" is the compromise, for the settlement on the east shore.


Heading west into Washington; the river has curved to a north-south path here. The stone wingwall is flared on the northwest corner of the bridge because Rymon Rd. curves suddenly and sharply northward.


Poke around the truss stanchions and see if you can find the lucky build date!


Back east toward the land of shoddy mills. Globbing pavement over wood planks sure seems like something a shoddy miller would do.


Poking around the ruins of New Hampton, which apparently just abut someone's house in their backyard, no big deal. I see what looks like an old doorstop and mechanical means for sliding doors. Look, no lie, I'd love to have this in my backyard too. Maybe a castle...


Closing on roads, one small piece of historic curb with no context.

Mount Joy Road Bridge

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