News
Friends Group Meets On Oceanic Bridge Design
By John Burton
RUMSON - Time is of the essence, for the Friends of the Oceanic Bridge to make their case to state and federal officials regarding the future design of the aging span.
"We've got to make some noise," advised Todd Thompson, current president of the Friends of the Ocean Bridge Association, at a meeting of those concerned about the fate of the bridge last Tuesday at Bingham Hall.
Speaking before a group of approximately two dozen members and interested area residents, Thompson outlined ongoing plans for the replacement of the bridge that spans the Navesink River, connecting Rumson with the Locust section of Middletown.
The drawbridge was constructed in the 1930s. According to Thompson, "This is the longest bridge in the county."
But the structure is now more than 75 years old, the age at which bridges are traditionally replaced.
Plans are in the works to construct a new one. But the issue for the association is what that new bridge will be like.
With an estimate of more than $50 million to build a new bridge, state Department of Transportation and county officials have said previously they are seeking federal assistance for the project. But the federal Highway Administration is only willing to provide funding for fixed-span bridges.
Many area residents, like the members of the association, and now county and local elected officials, according to Thompson, have been making the case that the replacement bridge should retain the style of the original and remain a drawbridge.
The existing structure is eligible for inclusion on the state and federal registry for historic places, and in 1940 it was named "the nation's most beautiful moveable bridge" in a civil engineering journal.
"It's a spectacular spot," Thompson said.
The Friends of the Oceanic Bridge have been arguing for this alternative based not only on the bridge's aesthetics, but also out of concern for what impact a large fixed-span bridge would have on the area's economy.
A proposed 55-foot fixed span bridge would be an impediment to some of the larger privately owned sailboats and yachts that now make their way up the river.
Those crafts that have masts that reach approximately 35-36 feet would not be able to pass under and would have to forsake sailing or mooring west of the bridge, which would have real implications for marinas in Fair Haven and Red Bank, Thompson explained.
A large bridge like the one proposed by the state would mean lower property values - 23 percent lower by Thompson's estimate - for properties that surround it. That would mean less tax revenue for local municipalities.
"That's big numbers," he said.
Thompson told the group that county engineering officials are expected to submit a revised 'purpose and need' statement and their analysis to the state DOT by March 1.
Thompson is asking for association members to draft letters and send them to their federal and state officials to show their support for another drawbridge, and to ask others to do the same.
The fixed-span proposal is the desired option but not the exclusive one, Thompson explained, with federal officials willing to consider other options, if a compelling case can be made.
So far Middletown, Rumson, Fair Haven and Little Silver governing bodies have all passed resolutions in support of it, as have the Board of Chosen Freeholders and Monmouth County Board of Recreational Commissioners, according to Thompson.
"Everyone in the county [government] we've dealt with wants to replace it with what we have," he said.
The final decision as to what type of bridge will be built is expected in the second quarter of 2010, with that design to be drafted in 2012-2015.
Construction is expected to be done between 2017-2018, Thompson said.
