PISCATAWAY, N.J. – An air test explosion on Friday left four construction workers injured, two of them seriously, during the reconstruction of the River Road bridge over Interstate 287. According to Mayor Brian Wahler, the crew working on the bridge as part of a state Department of Transportation contract was conducting an air pressure test when the explosion occurred. The construction crew was in the process of installing new sections of line that would carry natural gas, but there was no natural gas in the line due to it being a new line in the bridge.
The explosion, which occurred around 1:30 p.m., resulted in three workers being in a construction pit and one in a backhoe at the time. The injured workers were taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for treatment. The incident is under investigation by Piscataway police, and OSHA is expected to conduct their own investigation. Representatives of PSE&G are also on the scene, as the gas line will be turned over to them once the work is completed.
The bridge project, which has been ongoing for about two years, is currently ahead of schedule and is set to be opened sometime in early summer. During the construction, the road has been shut down, causing heavy travel disruption in Middlesex County.
The township is working to clear the road in time for the evening rush. It is hoped that the road will be fully open for travel in the near future.