Tag Archives: Middletown

A Weekend Respite: Oceanic Bridge Open

An extra push with work on the Oceanic Bridge will allow for a weekend opening from Friday evening through Monday morning, Monmouth County officials announced.

Officials said in a release that work has been ongoing around the clock since 6 a.m. on Monday.

Harms Construction, the company doing the work, have assured that the work will be complete by next Friday, June 12, on schedule.

Work on the south side of the drawbridge that spans the Navesink River from Rumson to Middletown will start again on Monday at 6 a.m. 24 hours a day in two 12-hour shifts, a release from the county said.

County officials added that the bridge is open only to marine traffic with the usual season rules and scheduling applying.

 

Oceanic Bridge background information from the county … 

“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.

“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.

“Monmouth County plans to replace the Oceanic Bridge in the next ten years.”

Weekend Treat: Oceanic Bridge Open

Call it a little unexpected gift for Rumson-Fair Haven area residents — and many more.

Just when you thought it was closed for a few weeks that many dreaded, the Oceanic Bridge will be open for the weekend.

Why the unexpected respite from complete closure? Monmouth County officials explained it in the following press release:

“Since 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, around the clock work to repair bearings on the north side of the Oceanic Bridge (S-31) has been under way; the work has progressed on schedule and will be shifting to the south side at 6 a.m. on Monday, June 1.

‘This affords us a unique opportunity to open the Oceanic Bridge to traffic on Saturday evening, May 30, and all day and night Sunday, May 31,’ said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Department of Public Works and Engineering. ‘I have spoken with our contractor, Harms Construction, who anticipates shifting the repair operation to the other side of the bridge late Saturday afternoon; we have agreed to open the bridge to all traffic by Saturday evening.’

Harms Construction Co. Inc. of Howell will resume work at 6 a.m. Monday, June 1 on the south side of the structure that spans the Navesink River and connects Rumson to Middletown. Harms crews will be working 24 hours a day, in two 12-hour shifts, to have the work completed by June 12.

The Oceanic Bridge has been closed to all but marine traffic since 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 26. For marine traffic, seasonal rules and scheduling are in effect.

‘A previous Oceanic Bridge repair project revealed deterioration in two areas not readily or previously accessible,’ said Arnone. ‘Two of the bridge’s four main bearings support the bascule and flanking spans on the bridge approaches.’

Ettore explained that the nature of the repair work requires that the bridge load be relieved by lifting the bascule and approach spans off of each bearing and that the bearing work must be completed to maintain public safety and the use of the Oceanic Bridge.

‘It is prudent to lift the bridge spans and perform the repairs to all four of the bearings,’ said Ettore. ‘The bearings in need of immediate repair are on the eastern side of the bridge, but the County is also going to repair the bearings on the western side of 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.

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, a NJTPA Board member. ‘This grant will allow us to look to the future and take steps toward building a better bridge, one that will stand up to the extreme coastal storms we’ll face and serve our modern travel needs.’

Monmouth County plans to replace the Oceanic Bridge in the next ten years.

Oceanic Bridge to Close Before Summer Takes Hold

Just when they thought the temporary fixes to the Oceanic Bridge were coming to an end, and traffic could proceed as usual, Monmouth County officials have announced that the bridge needs more major work and will be closed from May 26 to June 12.

The April structural steel and concrete deck repair work to the bridge that spans the Navesink from Rumson to Middletown revealed the need for more significant repair work critical to safe traverse.

Two of the bridge’s four main bearings are in imminent need of repair and the other two will be fixed as well, Monmouth County Engineer Joseph Ettore said in a release. The bearings are part of the mechanism that supports the bascule and flanking spans on the bridge approaches, he explained.

The $653,650 needed for the additional repair work on 100-foot bascule span of the 2,712-foot historic drawbridge was authorized by the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders at its April 24 meeting.

The Board of Chosen Freeholders authorized $653,650 for the repairs to the 100-foot bascule span of the 2,712-foot historic drawbridge at its April 24 meeting.

“It is prudent to lift the bridge spans and perform the repairs to all four of the bearings,” said Ettore. “The bearings in need of immediate repair are on the eastern side of the bridge, but the county is also going to repair the bearings on the western side of the bridge.

“The nature of the work repair requires that the bridge load be relieved by lifting the bascule and approach spans off of the bearing. To accomplish this, the Oceanic Bridge must be closed to motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic.”

During the period of complete closure, the bridge will still be open for marine traffic, seasonal rules and scheduling will be in effect, the release said.

The hold-off of the total closure until after Memorial Day weekend was scheduled to accommodate the holiday traffic, officials said.

Working around the clock will make it possible to open the bridge to all traffic just a few weeks into the start of the summer season, they added.

Preparation for the bearing work will start immediately and continue weekdays through May 21.

That work may require full overnight closures of the bridge from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. from May 13 to 15 and May 18 through 21, the release said.

The bridge will be open to all traffic from May 22 through Memorial Day on May 25.

Detours will be posted. But, standard alternatives are: from Rumson to Middletown, motorists should travel east and north through Sea Bright and Highlands to Middletown; and, from the Navesink and Locust sections of Middletown, motorists are advised to travel east and south through Middletown, Highlands and Sea Bright to Rumson.

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, the release said.

In 2012, extensive rehabilitation work was done to the bascule span, or drawbridge portion, in the center.

It is slated for total replacement within the next 10 years. Area residents have rallied to maintain the original design of the drawbridge.

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.

 

A View of the Oceanic Bridge Revamp

It’s a pictorial view from the underside of the Oceanic Bridge, which has been undergoing unforeseen structural repairs before the summer season starts.

“As the construction work has progressed, additional areas of critical structural steel and concrete deterioration were found,” Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Department of Public Works and Engineering, said in a release about the progress of the repairs to the bridge.

The bridge, that spans the Navesink River from Rumson to Middletown, is in need of concrete and steel deck repairs that are slated to be finished on or about April 30.

“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,” Monmouth County Engineer Joseph Ettore said in the release. “The additional steel and concrete deck deterioration must be repaired immediately to maintain public safety and the use of the Oceanic Bridge.”

The bridge, being revamped by Howell-based George Harms Construction Company Inc., is closed overnight, from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., with intermittent daytime one-lane closures.

For more information on the bridge, check out the following stories:

https://rumsonfairhavenretrospect.com/?p=1544

https://rumsonfairhavenretrospect.com/?p=1764

https://rumsonfairhavenretrospect.com/?p=2577

https://rumsonfairhavenretrospect.com/?p=2580

 — Photos and story/Elaine Van Develde

Attorney General: Rumson Printer Banned as Vendor of Prescription Blanks

The following is a press release from the NJ Office of the Attorney General:

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has terminated Rumson-based Nelson Press printing company’s authorization to act as a printer/vendor of prescription blanks.

The Division found the company’s failure to follow security requirements enabled a suspended doctor to allegedly obtain and write unauthorized prescriptions in another physician’s name for oxycodone and other potentially addictive painkillers.

The suspended doctor, Kenneth Lewandowski, of Middletown, was arrested in December 2014 by detectives from the Middletown Township Police Department working with investigators from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Division of Consumer Affairs. Lewandowski was charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful practice of medicine, for his alleged role in running a prescription drug ring.

Continue reading Attorney General: Rumson Printer Banned as Vendor of Prescription Blanks

Slowed Travel: Oceanic Bridge Repairs to Begin

The following is an edited  press release from Monmouth County:

Oceanic Bridge repairs are scheduled  to start on Monday morning with an estimated completion date of mid-April; and, with them traffic delays are anticipated with scheduled lane and overnight full bridge closures,

The drawbridge, which spans the Navesink River between Rumson and Middletown, will undergo repair work to its structural steel and concrete deck beginning about 9 a.m..

To complete the work and keep the bridge open to traffic during peak traffic hours, the county has developed a staggered schedule to coordinate repairs with corresponding lane closures and fully operational and closed times.

Single lane closures during the mid-day and early evening hours will facilitate vehicular and pedestrian traffic. A full overnight closure will also be in place from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The schedule for fully operational times, lane closures and full closure is as follows:
• 6 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 p.m., single lane closure with alternating lanes of vehicular traffic;
• and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. , bridge closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic

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

“This work must be done to keep the Oceanic Bridge in working condition during its regular operating season,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering in the release. “We appreciate the patience of the travelling public while we work to keep the bridge operational and get the necessary work completed.”

The staggered times will allow contractor 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 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 should travel east and south through Middletown, Highlands and Sea Bright to Rumson.

Oceanic Bridge Revamp Study Granted Funds; Precursor to Revamp

On the heels of what was a major, albeit bandaid, fix to a portion of the corroding Oceanic Bridge, Monmouth County officials have gotten a boost via state funding to undertake the appropriate studies to rehabilitate or replace the entire structure.

The 2016 $600,000 “concept development study” of the county-owned 2,712 foot Oceanic span between Rumson and Middletown over the Navesink River was one of five approved last week by the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA).

The drawbridge, built in 1939, has been targeted as one in need of replacement and/or major revamp for several years now. In 2012, major repairs to the 98-foot bascule span, or moveable drawbridge part, of the bridge was refurbished.

But, even then, officials said that that was only a temporary fix. A permanent solution, they had said, was the only answer.

Options for rehab and/or replacement have been bandied about. But, for years now, there has been a large contingent of people adamantly opposed to replacement with a fixed, higher structure. The opposition to that slightly cheaper plan have felt it would be an injustice to bridge’s historic integrity and make it more difficult to be used by pedestrians and bicyclists.

The bridge’s capacity to carry its maximum load of vehicles, too, has consistently diminished with its age and consequential deterioration from wear and tear and salt water submersion.

So, the need for a permanent plan has become more imminent and potentially costly, county officials have said.

As a result of the fiscal year 2016 NJTPA program grant, the door will be open for construction costs to be covered by federal funds.

W. Front Street Bridge to Close After New Year

By Elaine Van Develde

It was not that long ago when Monmouth County officials told people to brace themselves for a four-month West Front Street Bridge closing starting Jan. 2. Now, they’re saying it the closing will happen “on or about Jan. 5,” but they’re still promising it will reopen before Memorial Day.

In fact, the target reopening date has been set for May 17; and, the last phase of the bridge replacement project “is on schedule to open before Memorial Day weekend,” Freeholder Thomas Arnone, liaison to the county Department of Public Works and Engineering, said in a release.

While, according to the release, pedestrian access, including dismounted walking bicyclists, will be open throughout the closure, drivers will need to plan alternate routes.

Detours will funneling traffic from Red Bank “north on Rector Place to Route 35 and across Cooper’s Bridge and then onto Navesink River Road to Hubbard Avenue,” the release said.

Toward Red Bank, traveling east, detours will guide traffic “from West Front Street in Middletown will be directed north on Hubbard Avenue to Navesink River Road to Route 35 and across Coopers Bridge to Rector Place,” it added.

Traffic congestion and travel delays are anticipated.

What to expect with the new bridge …

• The new span over the Swimming River between Red Bank and Middletown will be 480 feet long and 44 feet wide with two 12-foot travel lanes, six-foot sidewalks on both sides and four-foot shoulders;

• There will be nine feet of vertical clearance above mean high water elevation and roughly 72 feet of horizontal clearance within the navigable channel of the Swimming River;

• Architectural enhancements include ornamental lights and a decorative recessed brick panel parapet with a decorative ball and cap railing, similar to Coopers Bridge;

• Additional improvements will include roadway widening at the bridge entrances, improved storm water drainage, ADA accessible route, highway lighting and new guide rail treatments.

The West Front Street Bridge, or Hubbard’s Bridge, was built in 1921. It was constructed as a six span, stringer structure with a steel open grid deck.

 

Detour: W. Front Street Bridge to Close

By Elaine Van Develde

People in the area knew it was coming — a four-month West Front Street Bridge closure.

But, right now, with plans long in the works to replace the bridge, which spans from Red Bank to Middletown, Monmouth County officials today announced that there would be intermittent lane closures in the area in preparation of what has now been determined to be a Jan. 2 shut-down of the span.

Until that closure, county officials announced in a release, “there will be intermittent lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Hubbard Avenue and other roads on the Middletown side” of the 92-year-old bridge.

Continue reading Detour: W. Front Street Bridge to Close