Fair Lawn Avenue Bridge over the Passaic River, Fair Lawn, New Jersey

Our favorite day of the week has finally arrived and that means it is time for another edition of Wrecking Wednesday! This week, Sessler Wrecking is highlighting a demolition of the Fair Lawn Avenue Bridge over the Passaic River in Fair Lawn, New Jersey!

Sessler Wrecking undertook the complex removal of a two-truss bridge originally constructed in 1925, which spanned the Passaic River and connected the communities of Paterson and Fair Lawn. The project required meticulous planning and execution to comply with strict environmental regulations, which restricted disturbance to only a small portion of the river bottom.

Work began at the west end of the bridge, where Sessler Wrecking removed the steel grid deck along with the transverse grid deck support beams and stingers. The cantilevered steel sidewalk outriggers were also dismantled as part of this process.

To safely lower the truss, custom slider beams were placed beneath the existing structure. Once the truss was released, it was carefully lifted and pulled off the pier. On land, it was dismantled into twenty-foot sections with the help of multiple excavators, which also handled the processing of the steel. This systematic method was then repeated for the eastern span, ensuring safe removal while minimizing environmental impact.