TEANECK — Since the Anderson Street Bridge was determined to be structurally deficient in 2012, concrete barriers have blocked outside lanes, reducing it to one lane in each direction.

At the same time, Bergen County officials placed a 15-ton weight limit on the bridge connecting Teaneck and Hackensack because of its poor condition, causing NJ Transit buses to be rerouted to Route 4 to cross the river.

But work to repair or replace the 48-year-old bridge isn’t likely to begin for another four to six years as officials work to meet the requirements to have the project federally funded, representatives from the county said at a public meeting Tuesday.

“If the county were to do the project it would go much quicker. But we don’t have the $15 to $25 million in our pockets to pay for it either,” said Peter Kortright, who is managing the project for the county.

The project must go through three stages to qualify for federal funding.

First, Bergen County with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and the state Department of Transportation must assess the condition of the bridge and get input from municipal officials and community members to develop a plan. That work began last year and should be complete by next winter.

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Then preliminary engineering work will be done. During the third stage, the design will be finalized. Each part of the process will take about 18 months to two years to complete, county officials said.

Each day, about 22,000 vehicles traverse the bridge, which connects Cedar Lane in Teaneck to Anderson Street in Hackensack. Another 400 buses have been rerouted from the bridge since the weight limit was put in place almost seven years ago.

The bridge is safe to travel over in its current condition but is structurally deficient, county officials said. There is advanced deterioration and cracks in the superstructure under the deck and the deck and roadway are seeping and leaking water.

As the condition of the bridge is examined, workers will also look at traffic conditions nearby, the needs of the two communities, Fairleigh Dickinson University and the residential and commercial developments underway in Hackensack.

“We have to look at all of those aspects and make sure this bridge is built safely and meets the needs of both communities,” said Joseph Baladi, the director of the county's planning division.

When work does begin, officials from the county, state, Hackensack and Teaneck will decide whether the bridge needs to be closed completely.

The bridge’s reduced capacity has not affected its ability to handle firetrucks and ambulances responding to emergencies. But if the bridge is closed during construction, that may slow emergency response times, said Dean Kazinci, the interim township manager.

“There is concern from my end that the complete closure of the bridge could result in the delays for emergency responders getting to and from hospitals, as well as for mutual aid response,” he said.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, detailed the complaints she's received from constituents about the bridge in a statement sent to the project’s directors.

“I have hear many constituent stories relating to the lack of public access between Teaneck and Hackensack due to this bridge’s condition,” she wrote. “District 37 residents have been waiting a long time for the overhaul of the Anderson Street Bridge so they can once again travel on a safe thoroughfare between Teaneck and Hackensack.”

The closest river crossings are the Midtown Bridge and Court Street Bridge about a mile away to the south, and Route 4, about a mile to the north.

Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin expressed frustration with the slow pace of progress on the bridge. He attributed the delay to political bickering and issues finding qualified engineers to do the work.

“We really need to reinvest in our infrastructure and stop the infighting among our political parties," he said.

Residents at the meeting on Tuesday said they were also frustrated at the prospect of waiting another six years for work to begin.

“It’s a longer process than seems necessary, and it’s unfortunate because the residents and businesses from both towns bear the brunt of it,” said Howard Rose, a township resident and business owner.

Daniel Kelleher, who lives near the bridge said sometimes he’ll walk rather than take the bus because of how slow the detour is.

“It takes a lot longer than it used to just to get to Hackensack,” he said. “It’s an eyesore. Those concrete blocks are just a daily reminder of our crumbling infrastructure.”

Email: burrow@northjersey.com