Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Project $31 Million Richer

The federal funding coffers for the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge project just got $31 million richer, making the $104 million project completely federally funded, Monmouth County officials said.

The Monmouth County project was one of four that recently got approved by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Board for the federal funds. The other nearby project funding approved was $800,000 for a study targeted to improve the Laurel Avenue NJ Transit bridge that connects Homdel and Middletown.

On the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge project, one county official said this:

“I am happy to report the NJTPA Board approval of the additional funding necessary for our much needed replacement of the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge,” Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone, who is also liaison to the Monmouth County Department of Public Works & Engineering and represents the county on the NJTPA board, said in a released statement. “We are finalizing our contract documents to replace a current movable bridge with a new movable bridge structure relocated to the south and anticipate being ready for construction by the end of this year. With NJTPA programming the additional $31 million, this bridge replacement project will be fully federally funded in the amount of $104 million.”

The funding decision was based on the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge’s integral role in evacuation during coastal storm and tidal flooding times.

The approval came with the following narrative:

Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge (S 32) carries county Route 520, Rumson Road, across the Shrewsbury River between the boroughs of Rumson and Sea Bright. This bridge serves as one of two evacuation and emergency routes in times of tidal flooding and coastal storms. The existing aging structure is at the end of its service life and requires complete replacement. Monmouth County is proposing a movable structure to replace the current structure.

The NJTPA is the federally authorized Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for 6.7 million people in the 13-county northern New Jersey region. Each year, the NJTPA oversees more than $2 billion in transportation improvement projects and provides a forum for interagency cooperation and public input. It also sponsors and conducts studies, assists county planning agencies and monitors compliance with national air quality goals.

— Edited Monmouth County press release