News Release

Road Project Expanded to Include the New Jersey Brigade Unit, Cross Estate and Gardens

The Cross Estate / New Jersey Area entrance road, 1950s. Work here will remove and replace a former private gravel drive with a firm base and asphalt pavement. The Cross Mansion water tower is visible at the upper right of the photo.

NPS Photo / Park Collection

News Release Date: May 16, 2022

Contact: Thomas E. Ross

Morristown, NJ – Morristown National Historical Park’s multimillion-dollar roadway improvement project has expanded to include a parking lot at Jockey Hollow and all the public access roads at the New Jersey Brigade Area (Cross Estate Mansion and Gardens). The work will affect travel in the construction zones through September. The New Jersey Brigade area will be closed to the public for up to six weeks beginning on or about May 31.  

The work is part of a $4.1 million roadway improvement project, funded through the Federal Lands Transportation Program, which will provide a safer, more enjoyable experience for the public and further encourage hiking and walking in Jockey Hollow and the New Jersey Brigade Area through:

• Repaving several park roads and a parking area
• Replacing or cleaning culverts and drainpipes
• Installing new park traffic control gates, road and parking lot striping, traffic control signage, and traffic loop counters
• Creating several traffic calming “tables” at pedestrian crossings and multiple “speed humps” to slow traffic and improve pedestrian visibility and safety.

Visitors to the park during this six-month project should expect road closures, traffic detours, trail closures, grooved pavement, limited park area closures, and other construction impacts on the areas under construction.  

Although road work has been underway since April 11 in the Jockey Hollow Area, this newly funded road work, located at the New Jersey Brigade Area (GPS 61 Jockey Hollow Road Bernardsville, NJ), is expected to kick off on May 31.  For an estimated six weeks, the New Jersey Brigade Area will be closed to the public to accommodate the intensive work planned for these roads.  Due to its age and condition, the road must be rebuilt completely, including installing a new road base, a new culvert, and road drainage and paving. Once that work is primarily completed (early to mid-July), the park expects to reopen the New Jersey Brigade access roads to the public Friday through Sunday and on federal holidays for visitor use. There may be occasional Fridays when catch-up work is needed due to weather or other delays. Between July and September, the contractor will complete project work, including installing new traffic control gates, road striping, and the installation of traffic control signage throughout the work area.

The new work also includes the repaving and striping of the Trail Center Parking Area located at Jockey Hollow.  This parking lot will be closed to the public for a short period while the work is underway; the timetable is unknown. Check the park’s website at www.nps.gov/morr or Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/MorristownNPS for alerts on road and parking area closures. The public is reminded to follow all road closures and detours and drive slowly and carefully through construction zones.  

Morristown National Historical Park encourages visitors to see the park’s other locations unaffected by construction work: Washington’s Headquarters and Fort Nonsense in Morristown, New Jersey. Park information and hours may be found at www.nps.gov/morr. 

This information on the pavement rehabilitation project also is available at: News Releases - Morristown National Historical Park.

www.nps.gov