New Jersey Roads - Bergen CR 78

Bergen CR 78, Morlot Ave.



As construction began to dismantle the Morlot Ave. bridge into Paterson and erect its replacement in the same place, I got these WB photos of the old, rather nondescript bridge in May 2008.


WB from CR 507 (River Rd.), the bridge is 0.50 miles away, not 0.05. Besides, who would give a distance like .05 miles anyway? It's 250 feet. Or, in this case, 2,640 feet. Also, why erect a brand-new sign with weight limits while the bridge is closed? I wonder if these limits still apply to the new bridge, because really, the county ought to be building bridges to handle traffic without restrictions. If not, what a waste of sign.


I also saw this old sign EB at CR 507, but haven't been back since the bridge reopened. I'm sure it's still there. On modern signs, each arrow gets its own ONLY. Back then, black ink must have been expensive. Also, the sign is misleading because the rest of Morlot Ave./CR 78 is a quick jog to the right at the same intersection.


I came back to the bridge in March 2009, after it had been replaced. I must say, I'm in favor of new pony trusses. It's functional but pretty, much better than a standard concrete bridge. The red deck pavement, which I'm sure is related to the steel grid in the deck, is another nice feature. These photos are eastbound.


And these photos are westbound. There's new development along the Passaic River squeezed between the river and NJ 20 from what appears to be an old factory or warehouse complex. Can't tell what the development has become, though. Since Paterson is still a manufacturing hub, these may still indeed be industrial uses.


The gritty, suburban Passaic River, looking north with a city on the left and dense residential development on the right. Give the trees some leaves, and it could almost pass for pretty.

Onto CR 507
Into Bergen County
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