West Front Street Bridge To Close For Two Weeks In August

The newly constructed West Front Street Bridge, also known as the Hubbard Bridge, will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 6 a.m. on Wednesday August 12 through Wednesday August 26, according to a statement by Freeholder Tom Arnone.

The bridge connects Middletown and Red Bank over the Swimming River.  It will be open to pedestrian traffic during the two week period.

The purpose of the closure is to allow utility workers to move overhead power lines off of the old bridge to newly constructed underground facilities, and to the contractor to reconstruct intersections on both the Red Bank and Middletown sides of the span.

Arnone said the other option was to have the contractors work in stages, over a twelve week period, which would have kept the bridge open but slowed traffic considerably for three months.  The chosen schedule, made in consultation with elected and administrative officials in both Red Bank and Middletown, will allow the bridge to reopen prior to the Labor Day Weekend and before the start of school.

“This schedule allows motorists to make adjustments to their travel plans for two weeks,” Arnone said.

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The Arnone Report: Progress on Shark River Dredging and Two River Bike Path

By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

Freeholder Tom Arone

Summer is in full swing and I hope everyone is out there enjoying the beautiful weather we’ve been having. An annual tradition here in Monmouth County is the County Fair. The 41^st Monmouth County Fair was a huge success with thousands of residents attending over the five days it was held at the East Freehold Fairgrounds on Kozloski Road.

Monmouth County is the gateway to the Jersey Shore, and you will find more than 50 miles of beaches, revolutionary history sites, nationally recognized parks and golf courses, outdoor dining experiences for all tastes and plenty of places to spend the night.  The Monmouth Park System offers over 30 park areas to explore, please go out and enjoy all our beautiful county has to offer.

While we are on the topic of outdoor activities you can enjoy throughout our County, I would like to take a moment to address several concerns within different regions, including the Shark River dredging and the two-river area bike path.

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Freeholder Lillian Burry Recoverying From A Fall

Freeholder Lillian G. Burry photo by Art Gallagher

Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry is resting comfortably at home after being released from Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank where she spent most of last week after sustaining injuries resulting from a fall outside of her Colts Neck Realty office.

During a phone interview this morning, Burry told MMM that she sustained a mild concussion, injured her left knee and crushed her right elbow.  Her elbow joint was replaced.

“There’s still a lot of life in this old broad,” Burry said, “that’s it.  When I do something, I really do it.”

Burry’s knee is being treated with an ice pack.  Her right arm is in a cast that feels like it weighs 50 lbs., she said.

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The Arnone Report: Share the roads with cyclists and pedestrians

Setting  the record straight on proposed Two Rivers bike lanes

By Tom Arnone, Monmouth County Freeholder

Freeholder Tom Arone

Now that summer is here, the kids are out of school and the beaches are open. We know a few things are certain while living in our beautiful Monmouth County – sand will find its way into the house, barbeques will be plentiful and many of us will give in to ice cream cravings on the boardwalk. As residents we will also witness a significant increase to our population as our tourism season gets into full swing.  With this population surge, we will also see an increase in cyclists and pedestrians sharing the roads with motorists throughout the county.

I urge you to be aware of the statewide “rules of the road” and other specific rules in your municipality for whatever mode of transportation you choose. This is especially important when traveling on primary and secondary roads that are highly used, like those without designated bike lanes or sidewalks.  It is extremely important for all of us to be diligent when sharing roads so they are safe for all users– pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists – as safe travel for all is of the utmost importance.

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The Oceanic Bridge Is Open

Right on schedule, the Oceanic Bridge opened to traffic between Rumson and Middletown this morning.

Working around the clock, in 12-hour shifts, Harms Construction Co. Inc. of Howell has performed repair and restoration work on all four of the bridge’s main bearings that are used to support the bascule and flanking spans on the bridge approaches.

The bridge was closed on May 26 due to the needed repairs that were discovered during an overhaul that was to have been completed in April.  The construction of the emergency repairs was scheduled to allow the bridge to open during the last two weekends.

“We appreciate the patience of the local residents, business owners and visitors while we conducted this necessary repair,” said Freeholder Tom Arnone who “The Oceanic Bridge is an important connector in the Two River area. We need to keep the bridge open and operational as we plan for its eventual replacement.”

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The Arnone Report: You need to get out & vote!

“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual–or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. ” – Samuel Adams

By Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone

Freeholder Tom Arone

The primary election is over and I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to all the candidates that won. Now as you prepare for November, I look forward to seeing positive campaigning over the next couple of months – let’s keep the focus on the issues concerning our constituents.

Voter turnout in Monmouth County was 2.9%, based on the number of eligible voters in the county. We need to improve this number! Your vote is your voice as an American citizen – you need to show up at the polls to have that voice heard. If you are unhappy with how things are being run in your municipality, our county and throughout the state of New Jersey, it is your duty to make a difference by voting.  Our right to vote in the United States is a privilege that was granted to us hundreds of years ago by the founders of our great country.  If we do not exercise our civic duty to vote, then we fail to create a government that epitomizes the voice of the people, and therefore we will not have representatives that reflect our opinions. So each vote is important, each vote counts.

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Reminder: Oceanic Bridge Closes May 26

The Oceanic Bridge (S-31), the span that connects Rumson and Middletown over the Navesink River, will close for repairs at 6:00 am on Tuesday morning May 26 and remain closed until the estimated completion date of June 12, according to Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone, liason to the Department of Public Works and Engineering.

The current repair project of the bridge was stated on February 9th and was scheduled to be completed by April 15th.  However, in late April, Arnone announced that while work was being done it was discovered that two of the bridge’s four main bearings need to be repaired. The bearings are part of the mechanism that supports the bascule and flanking spans on the bridge approaches.  The bearings were inaccessible at the beginning of the project.

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Howell Bridge Collapses

photo via facebook

The Monmouth County bridge that crosses Havens Bridge Road in Howell Township collapsed on Saturday, May 9.   The bridge had been closed for weeks prior to the failure due to damage discovered during an inspection by employees of the County Public Works and Engineering Department.

News of the collapse was first reported on the Our Howell NJ facebook community page.

“Thank God we closed the bridge before this happened and no one got hurt,” said Freeholder Tom Arnone, liaison to the Public Works Department, when confirming the collapse.

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Ten Day Detour For Building Traffic Circle in Colts Neck

The intersection of Crine Road (County Road 4) Dutch Lane (County Road 46) and Heulitt Road in Colts Neck will be closed from April 22 through May 2 for the installation of a roundabout.

Motorist heading east should follow Vanderburg Road to Boundary Road to Cedar Drive to Heyers Mill Road to Flock Road to State Hwy. 34 to Conover Road. Motorists travelling west should use the reverse route. A detour route has been posted.

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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.
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