Oceanic Bridge Height Requirement Must Be Changed, Advocates Say

RUMSON, NJ - A local grassroots organization is advocating for the US Coast Guard to lower the current height requirement for the new Oceanic Bridge from the planned 65-moot mean high water clearance to a 50-foot mean high water clearance to allow for more local boat traffic to access the area.

The Oceanic Bridge provides a direct link between Rumson and Middletown for vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, and emergency response vehicles, as well as serves as an emergency evacuation route for Shore communities.

While the group, Friends of the Oceanic Bridge, has said it would favor a 45-foot mean high water clearance drawbridge to allow 97 percent of current boat traffic to pass underneath it without opening, the group says the federal government is not incentivized to fund a drawbridge where a fixed-span bridge can be built. Thus, the organization is now asking for a 50-foot mean high water clearance fixed-span bridge.

“This is a very important local project and residents on both sides of the river deserve to have their opinions heard on this matter,” said Todd Thompson, President of Friends of the Oceanic Bridge, in a news release. “A 15-foot height reduction may not sound like much but it represents a 30-percent decrease, which will have a significant impact on the aesthetics of the structure and how people use the bridge, which will be more than twice as high as the current bridge.”

Earlier this month, the coast guard published a public notice asking for all interested parties to submit written explanations for opposition to the proposed project.

“This bridge is likely to be with us the rest of our lives,” Thompson added. “If you have an opinion, the Coast Guard is listening and you deserve to be heard—and you can do that through an email.”

Thompson added that a 50-foot bridge would also prove much safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Last fall, Monmouth County officials and the NJTPA surveyed the public for comments on their Preliminary Preferred Alternative (PPA) for a replacement of the Oceanic Bridge. Thompson cites that over 85 percent of the respondents rejected the idea of a “towering, fixed-span bridge.”

Comments may be submitted to donna.dleoce@uscg.mil.

Written comments can also be sent by mail to Commander (DPB), First Coast Guard District, Battery Park Building, 1 South Street, New York, NY 10004-1466. The comment period closes on Aug. 13.

The project can be reviewed here.