The Arnone Report: Over the rivers and into the parks
By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone
Freeholder Tom Arone
Spring has sprung and we can finally put the shovels and salt away and begin to enjoy the outdoors! Take time to visit one of our beautiful county parks – from Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch to Historic Walnford in Upper Freehold, to the Fisherman’s Cove Conservation Area in Manasquan. Monmouth County Park System offers over 30 park areas to explore.
Speaking of Manasquan, just up the block from Fisherman’s Cove, I am pleased to announce that on March 13 we reopened the 279-foot Glimmer Glass Bridge (W-9) on Fisk Avenue reconnecting Brielle and Manasquan 80 days ahead of schedule. Reopening the Glimmer Glass Bridge was a welcome relief to the nearby residents and the communities of Manasquan and Brielle. We appreciate all the work done by George Harms Construction to complete this deck replacement project early, as 10 month closure had been anticipated. There are many people and agencies that had a hand in moving this repair project along and we thank the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the State Historic Preservation Office for helping to move the permitting process along, as well as the Christie administration and the New Jersey Department of Transportation for looking favorably on the Glimmer Glass project. In October 2014, NJDOT provided a $1.6 million grant from the Local Aid Infrastructure Fund (LAIF) program to help fund the repair.
Monmouth County owns, operates and maintains the Glimmer Glass Bridge and three other movable, draw bridges as well as 976 other bridges and culverts throughout the 427-square mile county. All of these structures are monitored and maintained by the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering. The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders oversees the operation of county government infrastructure, activities and programs.
Included in these bridges is the Bray Avenue Bridge (MT-2) in Middletown and I am very delighted to mention that FEMA has approved our appeal for federal funding the replacement of this bridge. The Bray Avenue Bridge has been closed since damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy rendered the bridge unusable. FEMA’s approval of this funding is great news for the County. Following a Congressional review, the County was informed that the agency released approximately $2 million to be used toward the replacement of this damaged structure. With funding now securely in place, Monmouth County plans to authorize the receipt of bids for the construction this spring and award a contract for construction this summer. I would like to express my gratitude to the staff of our Public Works & Engineering Department for their persistence and hard work in documenting our appeal. A special thank you goes to the Sheriff’s Office and our very own Emergency Management Coordinator, Mike Oppegaard, who expertly guided our staff through the long appeal process. And, of course, none of this would have been possible without the support on our behalf of both Congressmen Chris Smith and Frank Pallone.
I continue to speak with our next generation of voters (and elected officials) about the importance of being involved in public service and government. I recently had the opportunity to meet with students from Manasquan Elementary School and Red Bank Catholic. I will also be attending Monmouth County’s Earth Day Summit on April 15, at Monmouth County Fire Academy and as part of our duty to serve our communities. The Monmouth County Shade Tree commission will be participate in Arbor Day Celebration’s on Friday, April 24 at West Belmar in Wall Township, Holmdel Village Elementary School in Holmdel Township and Sea Girt Elementary in Sea Girt which. Each school will be given a Proclamation for the day as well as tree planted on the school grounds and each student in attendance will be given a tree seedling.
Thank you for your continued support and I wish all the residents of Monmouth County a happy and healthy spring season.
More from my site
Prosecutor: Be on alert for online and phone scams targeting Monmouth County residents
Monmouth Jail Cleared In Wrongful Death Suit
Hanlon Sworn In As Acting Monmouth County Clerk
FEMA will contribute $2 million, 90% of cost to repair County Bridge in Middletown
In the Doghouse: Monmouth SPCA Chief Victor “Buddy” Amato Sued Over Hate Texts, Leaves Job
The Arnone Report- The Arnone Report
- The Arnone Report: Progress on Shark River Dredging and Two River Bike Path
Howell Bridge Collapses- The Arnone Report: Share the roads with cyclists and pedestrians
Sounds like a plan, just don’t drive on the roads to get there. With all of the potholes in Monmouth County we need another Senator Pothole to get them fixed.