For the past seven months, residents of Peapack and Gladstone have become accustomed to detours and blocked roads as a result of the reconstruction of the Pottersville Road bridge, which is now set to reopen in April 2026, weather permitting.

The bridge was first closed to vehicles on June 30th, marking the start of its reconstruction. Per Somerset County, the bridge needed to be replaced because its structure was deficient and in poor condition, making its restoration essential to maintain structural capacity.

While the bridge’s reconstruction is necessary to ensure the safety of drivers, it comes with a burden to the residents of Peapack and Gladstone, who have been delayed and challenged by detours as a result of the bridge’s closure. The Bridge’s location in Pottersville forces those living on one side of the bridge to be closed to all ways out of town besides Route 206. This makes a drive to downtown Peapack, one that would ordinarily take under five minutes, at least 10-15 minutes due to the detour.

The bridge’s closure and ongoing construction has become a serious inconvenience for many nearby residents. Eli Silberman ‘28, a student who lives near the bridge, expresses his frustration, “The Gladstone bridge is a large inconvenience that was poorly planned.”

Despite the project being scheduled for its completion over six months, this winter’s inclement weather has caused the bridge to now be projected to be finished in April 2026, according to the latest update from Somerset County on February 3rd.

As the project enters its seventh month in February, while the frustration towards the bridge’s closure continues, residents have adjusted to it, now accepting and dealing with the detours as a burden essential for safety in the future when it comes to the bridge.

Gladstone resident and Bernards student Charlotte Perez ‘26 reflects on how the bridge’s closing has impacted her, “It’s been a minor inconvenience—having to take a longer route to school and sometimes deliveries get lost or rerouted— but I think it’s necessary work to make sure we have a safe road to drive on.”

The bridge is currently set to reopen in April of this year, and while its completion comes with delays and detours, it can be hoped now that the weather allows this project to conclude finally.