Route 71 bridge over Shark River to be closed overnight next week
(Trenton) - The Route 71/Main Street Bridge over the Shark River that links Belmar and Avon-By-The-Sea in Monmouth County will be closed to vehicular traffic overnight next week, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced today.
NJDOT is scheduled to pin the bridge in the open position from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning starting Monday, April 30 and continuing every night next week. The work is scheduled to be finished by 6 a.m. on Saturday, May 5. The bridge will operate on its normal 30-minute raise/lower schedule during daytime hours, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
The closures are necessary for a manufacturer’s warranty upgrade on the new safety barrier gates, which will be performed at no-cost to the state. NJDOT scheduled the closures overnight to limit the impact to local businesses and residents.
• During the overnight closures, motorists and pedestrians will be redirected to the Route 35 bridge, which is just one block west of the Route 71/Main Street bridge. The Ocean Avenue bridge, six blocks to the east of Route 71/Main Street bridge, offers motorists and pedestrians another alternative to cross the Shark River.
In 2011, NJDOT completed a project to rehabilitate the mechanical and electrical systems on the bridge and installed new safety barrier gates.
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, per U.S. Coast Guard requirements.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. NJDOT provides emergency roadway information, construction schedule updates and real time traffic information and images at www.511nj.org.
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