Newark schedules Aug. 21 bid opening for Riverside Drive bridge replacement

Newark has scheduled a noon bid opening on Aug. 21, 2026, for the Riverside Drive Bridge Replacement project, a procurement milestone for work that is expected to close the road during construction.

The project is identified as solicitation 2023-31. The bid opening is not a contract award or a construction start. The city materials reviewed for this report do not identify a selected contractor or a current construction schedule.

Bid opening set for Aug. 21

The City of Newark’s official bid notice lists Aug. 21, 2026, at noon for opening bids on the Riverside Drive project. The city’s Bid Express procurement record identifies solicitation 2023-31 and lists Aug. 21 as the submission deadline, with the deadline shown as 4 p.m. UTC.

After bids are submitted, the city will have to review them and take any required steps toward a contract award. The final construction price and schedule will depend on that process and later city action.

Bridge over Log Pond Run would be replaced

The work involves the Riverside Drive bridge over Log Pond Run in Newark. City infrastructure information describes the existing structure as a cast-in-place concrete slab bridge constructed in 1935.

The planned replacement is a three-sided concrete box culvert. The city lists an estimated construction cost of $1 million and identifies Owens Corning and the City of Newark as funding sources.

The $1 million figure is an estimate, not a final project cost. A May 5, 2025, Newark City Council resolution authorized advertising for bids and entering contracts for the project subject to the appropriation of funds. The current bid milestone therefore does not establish that every final funding or contractual step is complete.

Road closure expected during construction

Riverside Drive is expected to close while the bridge replacement work is underway. The reviewed materials do not provide a current closure date, detour plan or construction duration tied to the Aug. 21 bid opening.

The city’s infrastructure page still contains older planning information that referenced a summer or fall 2025 construction start and a three-month duration. Those dates should not be treated as the current schedule.

What residents should watch next

The next significant updates should involve the bids received, any contract award, the final project price, a construction schedule and traffic arrangements for Riverside Drive.

For residents, the immediate date to track is Aug. 21, 2026. Until the city announces a contract and construction plan, the bridge remains in the procurement stage rather than active construction.

Sources

• City of Newark bridge bid notice