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.
Traveling through the heart of northeastern Monmouth County got a lot easier this week after State,County and Local officials celebrated the reopening of the West Front Street Bridge, AKA Hubbard’s Bridge, that connects Middletown and Red Bank over the Swimming River.
The five month long replacement project that came in as promised before the Memorial Day weekend.
The opening follows the construction of a new 488-foot long steel girder bridge to the north of the existing West Front Street Bridge.
The work being done on the Oceanic Bridge between Middletown and Rumson this month has revealed the need for additional significant repairs. After meeting with local officials, business and educational leaders last week, Monmouth County officials determined that the best course of action would be to close the bridge around the clock for three weeks immediately following the Memorial Day weekend.
The Oceanic Bridge will be closed to all but marine traffic from Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, June 12. For marine traffic, seasonal rules and scheduling will be in effect.
“The County’s current Oceanic Bridge repair project has revealed deterioration in two areas not readily or previously accessible,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Department of Public Works and Engineering.
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.
MIDDLETOWN – Police are asking the public for help locating the owner of a cat that was rescued by authorities and a tow truck mechanic from speeding Route 36 traffic on Saturday. Police Officer Nichola Fenezia responded to a report of a cat “clinging on for its life” on the median divider of the highway near… Read the rest of this entry »
How do Garden State Parkway officials plan to replace four bridges that carry the Garden State Parkway over busy Newman Springs Road in Middletown and unravel Exit 109’s rush hour commuting slipknot? Some of the answers could be revealed Thursday night. Garden State parkway officials will talk one-on-one with drivers and residents from 4:30 to 7:30… Read the rest of this entry »
New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie announced today that 18 organizations designated as New Jersey Heroes have been awarded a total of $120,000 in grants to enhance their missions with new programs and services.
A non-partisan, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization founded by Mrs. Christie in 2010, NJ Heroes’ mission is to recognize, celebrate, and promote the Heroes of New Jersey who inspire fellow New Jerseyans to give back to their community. Since its inception, the organization has awarded approximately $320,000 in grants to 24 New Jersey non-profits.
“I am proud our New Jersey Heroes Foundation was able to expand its grant program for 2015 to help these remarkable organizations continue to do good work in their respective communities throughout the Garden State,” said Mrs. Christie. “Our New Jersey Heroes recipients represent such a broad coalition of causes that touch many people in so many ways. With these grants, we’re providing these groups with an opportunity to make an even greater difference by giving them the ability to improve and expand their programs to further reach community members in need.”
Of the 18 groups honored today, 3 are from Monmouth County:
TRENTON — A Middletown doctor who got busted for driving drunk three times last year agreed to accept a temporary suspension of his medical license. But that didn’t stop him from writing prescriptions, authorities say. The suspended doctor, Kenneth Lewandowski, duped a printing company that produces prescription pads by calling in two big orders last fall… Read the rest of this entry »
The Middletown Township Committee is slated to introduce their 2015 budget tonight with a spending decrease of $959,463. The total budget as introduced will be $69,437,466 compared to 2014 spending of $70,396,929.
Decreased non-tax revenues, including parking permits and court fees, of $2.8 million and increases in snow removal costs of $1.3 million and insurance costs of $600,000, were off set by savings from shared services agreements with other municipalities and the Middletown Board of Education, as well as utility cost savings for $223,000.
The tax levy on Township property owners will increase $428,484 to $46,964,220, not including the Township Library. With the library budget of $3,445,649, the overall tax levy increases by $486,502.
A rant against Mayor Stephanie Murray and the rest of the Middletown Township Committee was posted anonymously on the business facebook page of the Middletown Township PBA Local 124 yesterday afternoon.
Written by “I am a police officer in Middletown Township,” the post alleges that Murray and the Township Committee are not paying police officers salaries and claims that officers are subjected to sub-standard working conditions. The anonymous officer claims that the Township Committee gave themselves a 20% raise:
Funding approved for replacement of bridge over Pews Creek
Middletown Committeman Tony Fiore, Congressman Chris Smith and Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray inspect the Bay Ave Bridge on the second anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2014. MMM file photo
MIDDLETOWN, NJ – Monmouth County was informed that it would be receiving a $2 million reimbursement from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the replacement of Bray Avenue Bridge (MT-2) over Pews Creek in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.
The $2,006,208 allocation represents a 90 percent reimbursement for the rebuilding of the bridge that has been closed since the tidal surge created by Superstorm Sandy overtopped the bridge and advanced the deteriorating condition of the bridge significantly.
“Residents and commuters in the Port Monmouth area will be glad to hear this news,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone. “With the financing in place, the County’s Public Works and Engineering staff can now shift gears and move the Bray Avenue Bridge replacement project forward.”
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.
