MANASQUAN, NJ – The Glimmer Glass Bridge (W-9) on Fisk Avenue between Brielle and Manasquan will close to marine traffic for approximately one month beginning Monday, Jan. 19 for repairs to the bridge’s bascule span.

“The movable span must remain down during this phase of construction; as a result of this work, the drawbridge cannot be lifted for marine traffic,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. “Vessels that can clear the nine foot span will be able to pass under the bridge during the repair work.”

Weather permitting, the work on this phase of construction is expected to be completed by Feb. 20.

The bridge was closed to motor vehicle traffic on August 7, 2014 as a result of damages to the bridge deck and immediate safety concerns. A thorough bridge inspection and structural evaluation determined the need for significant repairs. The work commenced on October 1, 2014 and is scheduled to be completed prior to May 1, well in advance of Memorial Day weekend.

 

George Harms Construction Co. Inc. of Farmingdale is making the repairs to the 279-foot Glimmer Glass Bridge. A $1.6 million grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Local Aid Infrastructure Fund (LAIF) program is funding the repair.

 

All motor vehicle traffic on Brielle Road, between Greene and Fourth avenues, are being 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.