Medford bridge ordered closed due to unsafe structure

MEDFORD – The Burlington County Engineer’s Office has ordered the immediate closure of the Jackson Road Bridge (No. 5.126 ) over Birchwood Lake due to compromised structure issues.

The emergency closure took effect at 1 PM Tuesday and is expected to remain in place until repairs are made to the bridge structure. Design work for repairs is ongoing and County officials anticipate the work will begin as soon as materials are obtained and will take several weeks to complete.

The unsafe conditions were discovered during an inspection last week and prompted the immediate reduction of the bridge load to a 6-ton maximum. Non-compliance with the reduced order prompted the Engineer’s Office to order the closure restricting all traffic across the span until repairs are made.

The bridge previously underwent significant repairs in 2004 following damages from a July flood.