MORRISTOWN -- The Village of Morristown is getting $50,000 to pay for the new roadway that provides vehicles — including emergency vehicles — a shorter alternative route following the recent closure of the Northumberland Street Bridge that spans Morristown Bay.

State Sen. Patty Ritchie’s office said without the road between Bay and Main streets as an alternative for the closed bridge, traffic would have been forced to take a detour route of over seven miles. The new roadway is less than a mile long, Ritchie’s office said.

“It is a giant weight off of our shoulders knowing that our emergency vehicles will continue to be able to answer calls without having to spend so much time on the road because of a closed bridge,” Morristown Mayor Cheryl Shatraw said in a prepared statement from Ritchie’s office. “I cannot stress how appreciative the Village of Morristown is for the Senator's assistance and support in awarding us this funding.”

“By not having to travel nearly eight miles out of the way because of the bridge closure, this new road helps users save on time and gas,” Sen. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, said in a prepared statement. “However, the biggest impact of this new road will be ensuring emergency vehicles do not have to take that same lengthy detour and are now able to respond to calls in a timely fashion and do so much more safely as they protect us and our property.”

After getting new traffic signs and striping, the roadway has officially opened to traffic, Ritchie’s office said.