Visiting the “Ghost Bridge” of Oak Ridge

Well, it certainly has been a weirdly dry autumn here in the Garden State, and there may be no better illustration of that than the currently dry Oak Ridge Reservoir on the border of Morris and Passaic Counties. The body of water has been temporarily drained to allow for maintenance of the dam that contains the reservoir, offering a rare glimpse into the area’s historic past. Weird NJ contributor Amanda Morris paid a visit to the dry lakebed this week and brought back these amazing photos of the “Ghost Bridge” which has been submerged beneath the water there for decades.

“Ghost Bridge off of Rt. 23 in Oak Ridge and photos of the empty reservoir. Being in there almost felt like you were on another planet, especially during sunset.

This reservoir was built in the 1890’s to supply the growing population of Newark with fresh water. But the village of Oak Ridge was located right where the planned reservoir was supposed to go. The small town was then vacated, with a majority of the buildings torn down.

The stone bridge that connected the village to the main road was left in place so it could be used during the construction of the dam. Once the reservoir was filled, it was covered by the water.” –Amanda Morris @seek.discover.play

The preceding article is an excerpt from Weird NJ magazine, “Your Travel Guide to New Jersey’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets,” is available on newsstands throughout the state and on the web at www.WeirdNJ.com. All contents ©Weird NJ and may not be reproduced by any means without permission.

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