For IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 30, 2014 

 

Glimmer Glass bridge repair work to start Oct. 1

Repair to be completed by May 1

 

MANASQUAN, NJ – Monmouth County has awarded a contract to George Harms Construction Co. Inc. of Farmingdale to conduct major repair work to the 279-foot Glimmer Glass Bridge (W-9) on Fisk Avenue between Brielle and Manasquan.

 

“The repair work includes replacing the timber deck and reinforcing the existing pile foundation,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering.

 

Weather permitting, the work is expected to be completed by May 1, 2015.

 

“To help the contractor complete this repair project as quickly as possible, foot and bicycle traffic will not be allowed on the bridge during the construction period,” said Arnone.

 

The bridge was closed to motor vehicle traffic on August 7 as a result of significant damage to the bridge deck and immediate safety concerns. The following week, a thorough bridge inspection and structural evaluation determined that the repairs were more significant than originally anticipated.

 

The County has secured the permits and a contractor to begin work on the bridge that was built in 1939.

 

“I want to thank the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the State Historic Preservation Office for their attention and consideration as we work together to move the project forward in an expeditious manner,” Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said. “We also appreciate the support and cooperation of the community as this project moves forward.”

The County and the Borough are working together to address public safety issues created by the duration of the closure.

“We know that this closure is impacting the community greatly,” said Arnone. “We are working to reopen this vital connector and continue to move toward a long term solution for the bridge and roads.”

The construction and bridge closure will not affect marine traffic. All other traffic should use the signed detours and expect travel delays in the area.  

All motor vehicle traffic on Brielle Road, between Greene Avenue and Fourth Avenue, will be detoured.

Specifically, westbound motor vehicle traffic on Brielle Road in Manasquan will be directed north on Fourth Avenue to Main Street and then onto State Highway 71 South to Fisk Avenue in Brielle. Conversely, eastbound traffic in Brielle should follow Fisk Avenue to State Highway 71 North to Main Street in Manasquan.

The original bridge crossing the Glimmer Glass was built in 1898 as a fixed span bridge. On August 13, 1939, the current cable-lift bascule span bridge opened and began accommodating both marine and vehicle traffic.  The bridge was refurbished in the 1950s and 1970s when the original components were replaced.

The contract was awarded to George Harms Construction Co. Inc. of Farmingdale in the amount of $1,525,991. The award was made at the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders public meeting on September 23, 2014. 

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