Park Avenue bridge replacement under way
Detours, temporary pedestrian crossing will be in place
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

LONG BRANCH - The state Department of Transportation (DOT) has begun a $6.7 million project to construct a new Park Avenue bridge in Long Branch.

The state-funded project will replace the current "functionally obsolete" bridge on Park Avenue, according to a press release from the DOT.

"The [existing] bridge is structurally deficient," said DOT Public Information Officer Tim Greeley last week.

"It is in nonrepairable condition and needs to be replaced."

The bridge, owned by NJ Transit, is located between Woodgate Avenue and Park Lane and spans NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast rail line.

Construction on the new bridge was scheduled to start this week and plans call for the new structure to be complete in approximately two years, according to Greeley.

The new bridge will be constructed with concrete materials and will also include aesthetic features to improve its appearance, Greeley explained.

It will span just over 51 feet in length, an almost 20-foot decrease from its current length of 69 feet, according to Greeley.

"Even though the bridge length has been reduced, there is adequate lateral clearance as the intermediate piers have been eliminated," Greeley said. "The bridge will be higher as the vertical underclearance will be increased from 16 feet to 19 feet."

The new bridge will also be constructed with a single span, rather than the current structure, which consists of three spans, according to Greeley.

Plans also include constructing a 6-foot-wide sidewalk, and an almost 11-foot-wide sidewalk, which Greeley said is an upgrade from the existing bridge which contains a single 5-foot-wide sidewalk.

The new structure will maintain the two 15-foot traffic lanes, the same as the existing bridge, to match the Park Avenue roadway width, Greeley said.

"Architectural details have been added to the bridge to give it a pleasing aesthetic appearance," Greeley said. "The parapets will be power-washed to expose the top layer of the aggregate."

The DOT is planning to erect detours starting tomorrow, which are due to continue until completion of the project sometime in July 2009, according to Greeley.

Eastbound traffic on Park Avenue will turn left onto Norwood Avenue then right onto Cedar Avenue and finally right onto Ocean Avenue.

Traffic traveling westbound will turn right onto Norwood Avenue then left onto Cedar Avenue and left again to Ocean Avenue.

The DOT will be using portable Variable Messaging Signs (VMS) and other signage to inform motorists of the bridge closure and detour routes, according to the release.

The DOT also plans to construct a temporary pedestrian bridge prior to the removal of the current bridge to allow for pedestrian access across the rail line during construction, according to Greeley.

He added that a date has not been scheduled yet for when that pedestrian bridge will be built or open.

Additional information is available at www.njcommuter.com.