Oceanic Bridge In Middletown, Rumson Needs More Repairs

by Michelle Sahn

Workers have discovered more problems with the Oceanic Bridge, which will require a closure of the bridge for significant repair work.

Workers had been repairing the steel structure and concrete deck of the bridge, which spans the Navesink River and connects Middletown and Rumson.

“The County’s current Oceanic Bridge repair project has revealed deterioration in two areas not readily or previously accessible,” Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Department of Public Works and Engineering, said in a prepared statement.

On its website, Middletown Township posted a notice from Monmouth County. According to that notice:

The bridge will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic from May 26 to June 12. Seasonal rules and scheduling will apply to boat traffic.

At its April 24 meeting, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders authorized $653,650 for the repairs.

Materials are expected to be delivered on May 13, and preparation work will begin immediately. That prep work will be done on weekdays through May 21. Overnight closures are expected during the prep work:

• May 13 through May 15
• May 18 through May 21

The bridge will be open on Memorial Day weekend.

The 2,712-foot drawbridge, which was built in 1939, has been classified as structurally deficient. The county plans to replace the bridge in the next decade.