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Rehabilitated
Route 71 Bridge over
Shark River
opening to vehicular traffic
today
Fully operational
bridge will benefit
local businesses
as summer approaches
(Trenton) - The
Route 71/Main Street Bridge that links
Belmar with Avon-By-The-Sea in Monmouth
County will be reopened today to vehicular
and pedestrian traffic.
Testing of the new electrical and
mechanical systems that have been
installed as part of a major rehabilitation
of the lift bridge are complete and
indicate that all systems are functioning
as intended. Starting today, bridge
operators will raise and lower the
moveable portions of the span on a
regular schedule to allow marine traffic
to pass.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation
and its contractor worked to reach
substantial completion as quickly
as possible to benefit local business
owners, residents and visitors. The
bridge was pinned in the up, or open,
position since October, 2010, when
construction started.
“We promised local officials and
business owners that we would do everything
possible to get the bridge back in
service by Memorial Day, which is
the traditional start of the Jersey
Shore summer season,” said NJDOT Commissioner
James Simpson. “I'm pleased we have
been able to beat that deadline and
wish the businesses and the towns
a safe and prosperous summer.”
“We are pleased that the project
is coming to an end and we can move
forward into the summer knowing the
bridge will operate properly," said
Belmar Mayor Doherty.
The bridge will be raised and lowered
on its normal 30-minute schedule beginning
today. Work on travel lanes will continue
for the next few weeks with single-lane
and shoulder closures in each direction,
but this work will not affect bridge
operations.
Work was accelerated earlier this
spring, with crews working around
the clock weekdays and two shifts
on Saturdays to finish the complicated
work of replacing the bridge electrical
and mechanical systems as quickly
as possible.
Motorists have been using two nearby
detour routes since October. Throughout
construction NJDOT has worked with
local elected officials and the communities
to ensure that motorists using nearby
detours were aware that vehicles and
pedestrians had full access to Main
Street up to the bridge itself on
both sides of the channel, and that
Main Street shops remained open for
business.
The Shark River channel is one of
the busiest commercial boating channels
in the state and the bridge is required
to open for marine traffic on-demand.
NJDOT provides emergency roadway
information, construction schedule
updates and real time traffic information
and images at www.511nj.org.
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