For Immediate Release:

April 10, 2015

Overnight closure 10:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. through April 30

“As the construction work has progressed, additional areas of critical structural steel and concrete deterioration were found,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Department of Public Works and Engineering. “The County’s contractor, George Harms Construction, will continue their work to return this bridge to regular use.”

The County has authorized Harms Construction to continue work on the structure that spans the Navesink River and connects Rumson to Middletown.

“The limits of the additional deterioration were unknown when the project began and have become evident during the cleaning and preparation process for the repairs as originally planned,” said Joseph Ettore, County Engineer. “The additional steel and concrete deck deterioration must be repaired immediately to maintain public safety and the use of the Oceanic Bridge.”

This means that overnight closures will continue Sunday through Thursday nights from 10:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. the following mornings. This schedule will be in place through April 30, weather permitting.

“This schedule keeps the bridge fully open to traffic during its busiest travel times: the morning and afternoon rush hours and all day Friday and Saturday,” said Arnone.

Single lane closures during the mid-day and early evening hours will facilitate the movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic across the busy span. Full overnight closures will also be in place from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

The Oceanic Bridge schedule, weather permitting, Sunday nights through Friday mornings, until April 30 will be:
             6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. – both bridge lanes open to all traffic
             9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – single lane closure with alternating lanes of vehicular traffic
             2 p.m. to 6 p.m. – both bridge lanes open to all traffic
             6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. – single lane closure with alternating lanes of vehicular traffic
            10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. – bridge closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic

For marine traffic, seasonal rules and scheduling will be in effect.

The staggered times will allow the contactor, George Harms Construction Co., Inc. of Howell, to perform the required work above and below the bridge deck. 

Motorists may want to plan an alternate route. Motor vehicle traffic on Bingham Avenue between Rumson and Middletown (CR-8) should travel east and north through Sea Bright and Highlands to Middletown. Motor vehicle traffic on Navesink River Road and Locust Point Road in Middletown (CR-8) should travel east and south through Middletown, Highlands and Sea Bright to Rumson.

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