Tag Archives: Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge

Scene Around: A Bridge to Frosty?

Frosty & Family and a Christmas tree adorn the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge construction equipment
Photo/John Lembeck

Where’s Frosty? Well, he and his family have apparently decided to take a stand, celebrate the holidays, bridge tend a bit and soak up the view of the Shrewsbury River.

Continue reading Scene Around: A Bridge to Frosty?

Focus: Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Close-Up & Travel Advisory

The Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge replacement is well underway. Here’s a photo gallery from a bit earlier in the fall and the latest update on construction directly from Monmouth County officials, including a travel advisory for Rumson-Fair Haven and Sea Bright area residents …

(Click on one of the photos in the above gallery to enlarge and scroll for an interesting close-up view of the activity and the original bridge.)

The following is bridge replacement activity, by area, for the week of Dec. 19. All work is scheduled for Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weather permitting.

In Rumson and Sea Bright …

  • Two bridge pile deliveries are scheduled per day, Monday through Thursday.
  • Uniformed police will assist with traffic control during the deliveries.
  • Deliveries may now be scheduled between 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and will continue to avoid school drop off and pick up times. If the schedule changes based on field conditions, delivery may occur after 3:30 p.m..
  • For safe passage of all, the traffic delivery pattern involves temporary disruption of vehicle and pedestrian movement over the bridge and may affect traffic flow on Ocean Avenue (Route 36) in Sea Bright and Rumson Road (CR 520) in Rumson.
    • During staging of the pile deliveries, vehicle traffic across the bridge will be alternated in the westbound lane and the eastbound sidewalk will be closed.
    • During lifting and moving of the bridge pile to the trestle in the river, both travel lanes and sidewalks will be closed for approximately 10 minutes.
  • Additional bridge pile deliveries are anticipated every week, weather permitting.  With each delivery, vehicles and pedestrians may expect temporary lane and sidewalk closures as noted above.
  • Bridge openings for marine traffic will not be affected by the pile deliveries.

In Rumson …

  • Rumson Road will continue with one lane in each direction until further notice.
  • Flaggers or police officers may assist with traffic control during movement of construction equipment.

On the Shrewsbury River …

  • Work activity will continue in the water south of the bridge on both sides of the river.
  • The navigational channel width has been reduced from 75 to 65 feet. The reduction is expected to remain in effect until the fall of 2023.

Scene Around: Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Replacement & Advisory

Yes, you can cross that Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge when you get to it. But there will be some intrusions through Thursday.

The long-planned new bridge is being constructed, as planned, parallel to the old, still standing bridge. However, the activity surrounding the bridge replacement may cause some disruptions in traffic flow to and from Rumson and Sea Bright for those few days, so Monmouth County officials have released a summary of what’s going on and where through Thursday between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., weather permitting. Take a look at the gallery above for a glimpse into the project (CLICK on one photo to enlarge and scroll.)

They have advised that people should be aware of the following travel disruptions:

Rumson Road, Rumson

  • The eastbound shoulder will be closed and both travel lanes shifted through Thursday.
  • Flaggers may be present to facilitate delivery of construction materials Monday through Thursday

Ocean Avenue (Route 36), Sea Bright

  • Flaggers may be present to facilitate delivery of construction materials through Thursday

Shrewsbury River

  • Construction of the temporary trestles will continue in the water south of the bridge.

Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Openings Set to Change

This is a test. A trial measure is in place to abate seasonally high traffic volume between Rumson and Sea Bright.

The Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge, the drawbridge which spans over the Shrewsbury River, will open less frequently, on the hour only rather than every half hour, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays this summer season. The trial begins on Friday, May 25, and will be in effect through Sept. 3.

Continue reading Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Openings Set to Change

Detour: Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Overnight Closure

So it goes again … If you’re planning on traveling over the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge any time between 8 p.m. tonight and 6 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, morning, you’ll need to plan an alternate route.

The bridge, which is slated for replacement, will be undergoing a continuation of routine maintenance work to its bascule span (the moveable part)  to keep it traversable until the total replacement transpires.

A released statement from Monmouth County officials on the previous week’s work said:

“This critical work is necessary to keep the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge’s movable span in working condition,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. “Monmouth County works diligently to keep its bridges in safe, working order. The goal of the overnight construction is to minimize the disruption of travel.”

The bridge will be closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic while the work is conducted. Motorists should plan an alternate route during the overnight hours.

Detours will be posted. Motor vehicle traffic from Rumson Road in Rumson can travel west to Bingham Avenue over the Oceanic Bridge through Middletown and Highlands to reach Sea Bright.

Motor vehicle traffic in Sea Bright can travel south on Ocean Avenue through Monmouth Beach to Atlantic Avenue to Monmouth Boulevard (Oceanport) to Seven Bridges Road (Little Silver) to reach Rumson Road in Rumson.

Detour: Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Closure

Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

If you’re planning on traveling over the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge any time after dark on Thursday night through to Friday morning, you’re going to need to plan an alternate route.

The bridge, according to a digital sign posted at its entrance and Monmouth County officials, will be closed from 8 p.m. on Thursday to 6 a.m. on Friday for routine bascule span (the portion that opens) maintenance.

The span is a county bridge which is slated for a major revamp.

Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Plans Aired

By Elaine Van Develde

“The cul-de-sac is no longer an option,” a Monmouth County project coordinator could be heard telling Rumson residents about a hotly contested proposed cul-de-sac on Ward Avenue that was to be an option for intersection improvements that are to come with the 2020 Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge replacement. “People were strongly opposed to the concept, so it has been eliminated.”

It’s one component of what was revealed about conceptual plans at a public information forum on the estimated $60-million federally-funded bridge project at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School Wednesday night. Another was held earlier in Sea Bright.

The 66-year-old historic drawbridge, deemed in serious condition a few years ago, is slated for replacement with a similar structure spanning the Shrewsbury River to the south of the original bridge. Though nothing is set in concrete and steel yet, county officials cautioned, it’s a definite that the existing bridge will remain functional as the new one is built parallel to it, significantly minimizing if not eliminating the need for detours during construction.

Continue reading Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge Plans Aired