Bridging Lives: Cherry Hill Township moving fast to reconnect a neighborhood to synagogue, ball fields.

The narrow walkway sandwiched between two homes on Knollwood Drive in Cherry Hill leads to what appears to be an inconsequential footbridge over a small stream, with Cooper Landing Road on the other end.

But the wood-plank bridge that was deemed unsafe and shut down by the Township on March 12 has proven to be an essential connection between residents of the west side neighborhood and important activities in their lives.

Members of Orthodox synagogues from the neighborhood are required to walk to services on the Sabbath and, without the bridge, the walk more than doubles in length to more than a mile. Young baseball players in the neighborhood also soon will begin using the Cherry Hill National Athletic League fields at the other end of the bridge and face the same long walk or must find a ride to get to practices and games.

Mayor David Fleisher on Wednesday announced that a temporary solution will allow the bridge to open by April 11. 

"After a thorough assessment by the Township and our engineering professionals, an interim solution to safely open the bridge has been identified. The repair process will begin in the coming days," Fleisher said in a statement. "The interim repairs will restore access for the community, until the full replacement of the bridge can occur later this year," added Fleisher, who noted that he and Township Council "fully appreciate the importance of this bridge."

The opening date is a key one. Passover, an important Jewish holiday, is from April 12 to April 20. Baseball also will begin to heavily use the National fields beginning the week of April 14, according to the league's online calendar.

For members of the Congregation Sons of Israel on Cooper Landing Road the closed bridge "makes the longer distance more difficult," Rabbi Michael Davies told 70and73.com in an interview on Tuesday.

"It's just a great shortcut," said Davies, who uses the bridge to get from his home to the synagogue. With it closed, synagogue members from the neighborhood must walk up Chapel Avenue or Church Road.

"We're trying to do it (express concern) in a way that is respectful of process but also emphasizing the urgency that we're looking for in this process to try to move things along," Davies said. He said he appreciated the mayor and Township government for understanding the challenge and urgency.

For many synagogue members, the Sabbath does not mean one walk to Cooper Landing Road. Some attend three different services over the Sabbath: one on Friday around sunset, one on Saturday morning and a third on Saturday afternoon into the evening hours. Driving is not permitted.

Davies said normal wear and tear probably made the bridge fall into disrepair. "Some of the planks were actually coming off," he said.

Today there are no planks on the bridge and several obstacles block access to the bridge, which now is just the metal foundation with gaping holes to the creek below.

The bridge was last replaced in fall 2011 at a cost of $55,247, according to Brian Bauerle, a former Council member who now is chief of staff in the mayor's office. 

Planning for a full replacement of the bridge already is underway, according to the Township. 

The Knollwood foot bridge is between 38 and 40 Knollwood Drive.