Bridge replacement will damage community
Iam amazed and appalled that the state of New Jersey would seemingly lie to a federal judge in order to avoid an injunction. I was present at that hearing in February and the judge clearly stated the NJDOT would not begin to touch the drawbridge until spring 2009. Here we are only a few weeks later and the NJDOT is out there with jackhammers and other equipment as they dismantle the median on the north side of Route 36, among other things.

Isn't it interesting that Commissioner Kris Kolluri has justified this bridge replacement in the name of "safety," yet he is creating a potentially unsafe situation on the highway by removing the median and perhaps increasing the risk of pedestrian and vehicle accidents?

I am aware that the bridge is in disrepair, but I dispute that it can't be repaired for less money without closing the bridge indefinitely. I have seen the studies and talked to engineers. Citizens need to stop this lynch mob mentality to replace the bridge and educate themselves about this issue. I bet once they've seen what our area is in for in terms of size and scale, then our current drawbridge design might seem more appealing.

I encourage the media - print and broadcast - to dig deeper and launch a full-scale investigation into this bridge travesty. Citizens do not like to be lied to by the very people and agencies put in place to protect their interests. If the former mayor of Highlands allegedly acted improperly by conveying a piece of Green Acres property to the DOT without following proper procedure, how can we as citizens stand by and let this happen?

And to all of our elected officials who are supposed to help their constituents, it's about time you stopped being silent and take some action on the Highlands-Sea Bright situation. You should be ashamed of yourselves for not responding to pleas over the last year and a half, by the Citizens for Rational Coastal Development members and nonmembers who have called your offices, had meetings in some cases and written letters asking you to intervene before this situation got out of hand. The exposure needs to start now to prevent the NJDOT from doing further irreparable damage to our community.

Rosemary Flannery Citizens for Rational Coastal

Development advisory

committee Highlands