Passaic County broke ground this week on a pedestrian bridge that will turn an abandoned railroad span over the Passaic River into a new walking connection between Passaic and Garfield. The Passaic County Board of County Commissioners held the ceremony on Oct. 27, marking the start of construction on a long-dormant crossing tucked inside Dundee Island Park.
The crossing is intended to give residents on both sides of the river a walking route into Dundee Island Park, whose amenities include trails, boat launches, a spray park, a playground, an amphitheater and waterfront access. The project will convert the old railroad bridge into a pedestrian pathway, according to passaiccountynj.org. The groundbreaking was reported by NJBIZ. The county awarded the construction contract to Rencor, Inc.
A Second Life for a Forgotten Crossing
Commissioner Sandi Lazzara said the bridge work continues the county’s investment in the area. “We build things here that last,” she said.
Orlando Cruz also described the bridge as a route connecting families with the waterfront and building on the community’s work to create the park.
The groundbreaking drew a lineup of local and state officials, including Passaic Mayor Hector Lora, Assemblyman Gary Schaer, who represents the 36th Legislative District, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ed Potosnak, and representatives from the Trust for Public Land, per the same county account.
Funding Without a New Tax Burden
NJDEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak said the project will draw on multiple department programs along with federal funding to improve access to the Passaic River. He said the partnership with Passaic County and Passaic City is intended to expand riverfront access for the community over the long term.
County officials have said the bridge project will not add an additional burden on the county tax levy. The broader Dundee Island Park transformation, completed in 2019, cost $12 million and was financed through the Passaic County Open Space, Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, the county capital budget, and a $5 million NJDEP Natural Resource Restoration grant.
Passaic County's First Riverfront Park
Dundee Island Park holds a distinct place in the county's park system: it was the first new addition to Passaic County's parks in more than 50 years and remains the county's first riverfront park, developed through a partnership between Passaic County, the City of Passaic and the Trust for Public Land. The redevelopment was also designed to address long-standing concerns about flooding and safety along the river, according to New Jersey Future.
A Link in the Local Trail Network
Passaic County’s Bicycle Master Plan, completed in June 2022, focuses on connecting destinations and linking communities to county parks and regional trails, according to the county. The sources cited here do not identify other existing pedestrian or bicycle crossings between Passaic and Garfield, so they do not establish how large a crossing gap the Dundee Island bridge would fill. The Trust for Public Land describes its Dundee Island Park work as creating a safe, close-to-home green space for East Passaic residents. Park designer MKW + Associates says the park is partly within the Passaic River’s active floodway and beside an abandoned railroad right-of-way; that describes the park’s setting, not a flood-protection role for the bridge, according to MKW + Associates.
New Jersey Future has also pointed to parks like Dundee Island Park as a mitigation measure against flooding tied to severe storms such as Hurricane Ida, while also promoting access to nature and community health. With the pedestrian bridge now under construction, county and state officials say the goal is to expand recreational opportunities and improve waterfront access for residents on both sides of the Passaic River.
