Why are officials mum on bridge replacement?
As citizens of Highlands, we are writing to express our strong disapproval of the plans to replace the Highlands- Sea Bright drawbridge with a span bridge that is more than twice the height of the existing bridge.

According to the specifications we have seen, the new bridge is 65 feet high to the bottom surface from the median water level. The road structure is about seven feet thick, the railings go another 30 inches higher and put the street lights on top of that and you are looking at 90-plus feet including the lights!

Given these facts, we believe that the N.J. Department of Transportation has fallen far short of providing a convincing case for replacing our historic drawbridge with this proposed structure.

The Highlands-Sea Bright bridge is an integral part of our area's small-town charm. We moved here, and are raising our family here, because of the unique character of our community. We do not want to see that character unnecessarily destroyed. We are not against progress but we support thoughtful development that takes into consideration the concerns of the local citizens and preserves the uniqueness of our area.

In addition to the numerous historic and aesthetic arguments that can be made against the new bridge, we are not convinced that the proposed span bridge has been proven to be safe.

The DOT claims the main purpose of demolishing the old bridge is to ensure the safety of the people who travel across it. However, the height of the proposed higher, fixed bridge, which requires steeper inclines at both ends, has not been proven to be safer, particularly in inclement weather.

Instead of trying to force their predetermined plan on local citizens, and spending a great deal of time and taxpayers' money fighting the town governments and local citizens in court, the DOT should be looking for the most cost-effective way to either restore the current bridge, or if that is not feasible, replace it with another drawbridge that maintains the special character of our community and enhances the visual effect of the historic Twin Lights.

The DOT seems to have been surprised at how vocal the public has been in speaking out against its plans for demolishing the existing bridge. Local residents from both sides of the Highlands-Sea Bright bridge have been united in urging local officials to take legal action to halt the DOT's plans. A citizens' group, Citizens for Rational Coastal Development, has hired a law firm specializing in environmental and land use law to represent it. The N.J. Historic Preservation Sites Council voted unanimously Oct. 20 to recommend that the DOT not be allowed to demolish the current bridge, due to its historic value and its connection to the Twin Lights.

So where do our local and state representatives stand? Shouldn't they be taking the lead in this fight? Shouldn't we be hearing from Gov. Jon Corzine, Sens, Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. and our district representatives Sen. Joseph Palaia, Assemblyman Steve Corodemus and Assemblyman Sean Kean? The silence so far has been deafening.

As fellow highly-taxed citizens of New Jersey, we are getting very tired of not being asked what we want and being held hostage by self-interested politicians and the numerous special interest groups that reign supreme in this state.

We plan to support the effort to "Save the Bridge" and urge concerned citizens to join the fight. It is not too late to save the Highlands-Sea Bright bridge and preserve an important piece of our heritage along with it. Get involved. Write to your representatives and ask them why they aren't getting involved!

John and Mara Samuels

Highlands