For Immediate Release:
Initially published Aug. 5, 2015
Update Aug. 19, 2015 - Ongoing cement work on the Oceanic Bridge will continue Tuesday, August 25 thorough Thursday, August 27. Motorists should anticipate lane shifting of traffic during this time, weather permitting.
Update Aug. 13, 2015 - Cement work on the Oceanic Bridge will continue into next week (Aug. 18, 19 and 20). Weather permitting, motorists should anticipate lane shifting of traffic during this time.
Oceanic Bridge bascule adjustment scheduled
Work to movable span requires one night bridge closure
RUMSON, NJ – Overnight closure of the Oceanic Bridge is required for one night at the end of this weekend to perform work on the bridge’s bascule span.
The bridge will be closed to motor vehicles and pedestrians, weather permitting, from 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9 until 6:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 10.
“Unfortunately, the work on the moveable section of the bridge must be performed while the bridge is closed to public use,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone. “We are closing the bridge at the tail end of the weekend to reduce the impact on businesses and local commuters.”
The adjustment work to the bascule span will be completed by staff from Harms Construction Co. Inc. of Howell.
Harms Construction Co. Inc. is also continuing repair work to the bridge foundation and piers. The next phase of the work will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 11 and require the shifting of motor vehicle traffic to narrow lanes from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The work is expected to take four days to complete, weather permitting.
“This traffic accommodation is needed so that the concrete can be delivered in small loads to the work site on the bridge,” said Arnone. “Once on the bridge, the concrete will be poured into the piers below the bridge.”
The 2,712-foot drawbridge crosses the Navesink River and serves beach, commercial and residential traffic, as well as pedestrian and bicycle travel. It is also a key route for coastal evacuations and emergency vehicles headed to hospitals or providing mutual aid. The bridge has been classified as structurally deficient.
“The Oceanic Bridge is an important connector in the Two River area,” said Arnone. “We need to keep the bridge operational as we plan for its eventual replacement. We appreciate the continued patience of the local residents, business owners and visitors while we conduct these important repairs.”
Built in 1939, the Oceanic Bridge has deteriorated due to decades of exposure to saltwater and from accommodating heavier vehicles and traffic volumes than for which it was designed.
In 2012, Monmouth County completed extensive work to rehabilitate the bridge’s 100-foot, center bascule span, allowing motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians to continue use of the bridge.
Monmouth County received notification from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Board of Trustees in January that $600,000 in federal funding was available to perform a Concept Development Study for the replacement or rehabilitation of the Oceanic Bridge.
“As the years have gone on, maintaining this bridge has become more costly and difficult,” said Arnone, an NJTPA Board member. “This grant is allowing us to look to the future and move toward building a better bridge, one that will stand up to extreme coastal storms and our modern travel needs.”
Monmouth County plans to replace the Oceanic Bridge in the next ten years.
# # #