Bridge replacement project under way
Historic drawbridge slated for demolition in summer of '09
BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer

HIghlands Bridge

SEA BRIGHT- It's full speed ahead for construction to begin within the week on the Route 36 Highlands Bridge.

New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Kris Kolluri announced Feb. 8 that theDOTwill replace the 75-year-old drawbridge that spans the Shrewsbury River to connect Sea Bright and Atlantic Highlands.

"The replacement of theHighlands Bridge demonstrates NJDOT's commitment to maintainingpublic safety andimproving our aging bridge infrastructure," said Kolluri in a press release. "The Highlands Bridge, which is structurally deficientandis consideredtheworst moveablebridge inthe state, is in dire need of replacement."

Kolluri said construction was set to start Feb. 11 and is scheduled to be completed in December 2010.

TheDOT's controversial plan to demolish the historic drawbridge and replace it with a 30- foot-higher fixed bridge has drawn its share of opposition.

Attorneys for the borough of Sea Bright and local grassroots group Citizens for Rational Coastal Development (CRCD) filed an injunction inDecember to stop theDOT from going forward with the bridge replacement, but a federal judge denied the request Feb. 4 in U.S. District Court.

Opponents of the bridge replacement filed another request for an injunction, this time in the state courtAppellate Division and a similar request in the Superior Court,Monmouth County.The formerwas filed against theState House Commission, which allowed Atlantic Highlands to convey Green Acres property to theDOT, and the latterwas filed to invalidate those property transfers, which allowed the agency to move ahead with the project.

"It's not in vain that this fight is a tough fight, it's an uphill fight, it always has been, but the merits are every bit as real now as they always were and this bridge is worth fighting for," said Stuart Lieberman, of Lieberman & Blecher, counsel for CRCD, after the Feb. 4 court decision.

The DOT began accepting bids in November after receiving all necessary local and environmental approvals to move forward on the project and awarded the contract to low bidder J.H. Reid General Contractor of South Plainfield for $124.5 million, according to DOT spokeswoman Erin Phalon.

According to the release, the state-funded construction project will replace the existing bridge, which was built in 1932 and has reached the end of its service life.

"The new bridge will improve safety and roadway efficiency and reduce congestion and delays," said Kolluri.

The new bridge is expected to serve motorists for 100 years as the bridge is part of the emergency evacuation route for Sea Bright Borough and the Gateway National Recreation Area, according to the release.

The work that was set to begin Feb. 11 is the building of a new fixed-span bridge over the Shrewsbury River, adjacent to the existing bridge, the release said.

Initial construction involves the installation of advance warning signage and starting Feb. 15, the DOT will close a single lane and shift traffic on the entrance ramps to Sandy Hook each night in order to build a temporary intersection in Sea Bright, according to the release.

"NJDOT will stage the project in a manner that will enable motorists to cross the Shrewsbury River throughout construction," the release said.

No detours are scheduled for mainline Route 36 and it will remain open to traffic for the duration of the project, according to the release.

Variable message signs will be installed to inform motorists of changes in traffic operations during construction and equipment will be installed to measure traffic speed and advise the public during construction, according to the release.

Traffic will be maintained on the existing bridge while the south half of the new structure is constructed, according to the release.

Upon completion of that structure in summer 2009, traffic will be shifted to the new structure, and the existing bridge will be demolished and then the DOT will build the north half of the new bridge, according to the release.

Opponents of the bridge replacement say it will be detrimental to the historic nature of the area and interfere with the views of and from the Twin Lights, a national historic landmark.

According to the CRCD Web site, "Our group opposes replacing our historically safe bridge that blends harmoniously with the shore view shed with an excessively high, undistinguished monstrosity that will block the existing view from both sides, decrease property values in the area, and probably have dangerous icing conditions during the winter season.

"Our group believes this 'bridge improvement' to be a preliminary step in a regional plan that will ultimately widen roads, substantially increase traffic flow, eventually require eminent domain land grabs and generally eliminate the small town charm and unique character of our Jersey Shore.

"The new bridge will provide a 65-foot vertical clearance over the Shrewsbury River channel and will carry two 12-foot lanes of traffic in each direction, with a median barrier. The new bridge will also feature two 8- foot-wide pedestrian sidewalks and two 8-foot-wide bicycle lanes. NJDOT designed the new bridge to match the color and surface texture of the existing structure," according to the release.

In addition to those changes, the DOT is planning to build two new pedestrian bridges over Route 36 in Sea Bright to provide safe crossings from the bridge over Ocean Avenue and Hartshorne Drive, according to the release.

State and local police will provide workzone safety during construction operations, according to the release.

Construction information and real-time traffic updates are available at www.njcommuter. com.