The John A. Lynch Sr. Memorial Bridge is a bridge on
Route 18 in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
spanning the
Raritan River
Raritan River is a major river of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.
History
Geologists assert that the lower Rar ...
. The bridge connects
Piscataway Piscataway may refer to:
*Piscataway people, a Native American ethnic group native to the southern Mid-Atlantic States
*Piscataway language
*Piscataway, Maryland, an unincorporated community
*Piscataway, New Jersey, a township
*Piscataway Creek, Ma ...
on the north with
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
on the south.
History
Construction on the bridge had begun back in the late 1960s with the announcement of Route 18's upgrade to a freeway between New Brunswick and
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...
, and by 1970, the bridge piers were in place. However, environmental concerns stalled the construction of the Route 18 freeway for almost a decade, and the piers stood unfinished until 1983 when the freeway and bridge were finally completed as far as River Road in Piscataway.
NJ 18 Freeway: Historic Overview
accessed October 18, 2006
The bridge was originally known as the Raritan River Bridge, but was renamed in honor of John A. Lynch Sr.
John A. Lynch Sr. (March 10, 1908 – March 3, 1978) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey Senate for 22 years, where he represented the New Jersey's 17th legislative distric ...
, the former State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...
from the district that included New Brunswick and Piscataway, a former mayor of New Brunswick, and the father and namesake of John A. Lynch Jr.
John A. Lynch Jr. (born October 21, 1938) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1982 to 2002, where he represented the 17th Legislative District (New ...
, who held those positions at the time of the bridge's completion.
See also
* List of crossings of the Raritan River
This is a list of road/highway and rail crossings of the Raritan River from the mouth at Raritan Bay upstream. It also includes crossings of its two branches: the North Branch Raritan River and the South Branch Raritan River
The South Branch Rar ...
References
External links
Route 18 page
at nycroads.com, with pictures and information on the John Lynch Bridge
at njfreeways.com, with pictures of the John Lynch Bridge
Bridges over the Raritan River
Bridges completed in 1983
Road bridges in New Jersey
Bridges in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Piscataway, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
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