News
Major Bridge Work On Hold Until After The Fourth For now, traffic lanes will remain open on Highlands bridge
By John Burton
HIGHLANDS - In what appears to be a reversal from its previous position, the state's Department of Transportation has agreed, at least partly, to a state legislator's request to delay construction on the bridge replacement project, at least until after the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
According to state Senator Sean T. Kean (R-11), the Department of Transportation (DOT) this week agreed to halt a portion of the project until July 6, to help area businesses, tourists and local residents who have been impacted, and will likely continue to be impacted as the project to replace the bridge continues.
Kean last week asked Kris Kolluri, the DOT commissioner, to postpone the work on the bridge connecting Highway 36 from the borough to Sea Bright and other shore points along the highway/Ocean Avenue, and with Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook, until after Labor Day holiday on September 1.
Kean said he had conversations with area merchants in the borough and in the general area, and they were worried about what the construction would mean for their businesses during this all- important summer season.
Last week, Erin Phalon, a spokeswoman for the state DOT, said the department had not yet been made aware of Kean's request, and while it would consider the lawmaker's appeal, "It would not be in the public interest to delay that process anymore."
Ultimately, according to the DOT, a nearly three-month delay could mean millions of dollars the state would have to pay in penalties to the private contractor awarded the project.
While the approximate two-week postponement, is considerably less than first requested, "It's something, anyway," Kean said on Tuesday.
With this project, "the restaurants, to the gas stations, to the pizzeria, everybody suffers," Kean said.
"I think at the end of the day the commissioner did the right thing delaying it for a couple of more weeks," Kean stressed. "And I know people I talked to up there are happy about that."
The project calls for the construction of a new fixed-span bridge over the Shrewsbury River, to replace the existing, deteriorating 75-year-old drawbridge. Plans are to build the new structure, which would be twice as high, next to the existing structure and demolish the old one. This week work began on the partial demolition, narrowing traffic down to two lanes, one going in each direction.
While the construction work that required shifting the traffic flow will cease until July 6, some work will continue on the site, including the installation of additional electronic monitoring equipment, Phalon said.
The project is controversial, as some area residents have complained about the replacement plan, saying the new, larger bridge would not be in keeping with the historic quality of the surrounding area, and it may have negative effects on property values and the quality of life.
There are currently three lawsuits in the courts concerning the project, as well as a possible criminal investigation, involving a DOT employee who allegedly falsified official documents concerning the transfer of a piece of property from the borough's ownership to the state.
Kean said he plans to continue lobbying for the longer construction delay, but he does concede, "I'm not sure that's going to happen."
Traffic snarls in the area of the bridge are inevitable as construction on the bridge continues. But Kean noted he has been in discussions with the SeaStreak commuter ferry service and with the DOT about possibly having the service add up to six ferry trips between Sandy Hook and the borough on weekends, to offer people an alternative route to the beach and reduce traffic congestion.
The bridge construction is expected to cost approximately $128 million with work continuing to about December 2010.
