By Stephen Appezzato
RUMSON/SEA BRIGHT – After years of planning and nearly four years of construction, local officials gathered last week to officially open the new Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge (S-32). It replaced the soon-to-be-demolished structure that linked the two towns for decades.
The new bridge was the most costly project the county has ever undertaken, officials said.
The new drawbridge, which spans more than 600 feet across the Shrewsbury River, replaces the original bridge that first opened around 1950. The $113 million project, funded through a combination of state and federal partnerships, marks Monmouth County’s largest infrastructure investment to date.
“This is an extremely exciting day. It’s a day we’ve been waiting for a very, very long time,” said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone,addressing local officials and project partners at a ribbon-cutting last week. “Years ago, we envisioned this. We envisioned being here today and, you know, we’re really not that far off on our timeline,” he said.
The construction crew broke ground on the bridge in November 2021, beginning a complex project that involved keeping the existing bridge operational while crews constructed the new one alongside it. The task, officials said, was to minimize disruptions to daily commuters, businesses and beachgoers.
“What I’m most proud of is, I come from the other side of the Shore, down by the Belmar area, and I see the inconvenience that’s going on over there with that bridge being closed on Main Street,” Arnone said. He called the impact on local businesses there “devastating.”
“We did not do that here. With the help of both mayors, both towns, the county, we were able to construct this bridge (while) keeping that adjacent bridge open.”
The bridge’s completion represents cooperation on municipal, county and state levels.
“It’s a tremendous honor to stand before you today as we officially open the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge, the critical connection between two of Monmouth County’s greatest communities,” said Rumson Mayor Joseph Hemphill. “This bridge serves as a symbol of regional cooperation and successful transportation infrastructure replacement.”
Hemphill also acknowledged the efforts of the construction teams whose work often took place under challenging conditions.
“To the many contractors and laborers that worked on the new bridge, Rumson residents thank you. Your work, which was often in difficult conditions, has produced a structure that is not only functional but beautiful. The end result is a true reflection of the two great communities,” he said.
Sea Bright Mayor Brian Kelly echoed those sentiments, underscoring the logistical challenges of keeping the existing bridge operational throughout construction.
“It’s really been a multiyear project, but keeping the old bridge in shape while the new one’s being constructed was quite a feat,” Kelly said. “I do think that for a town like Sea Bright, it’s critical to have this bridge in place. The old one was obviously nearing the end of its engineering life, and so it’s nice to see that they were able to get the funding together and the planning and engineering.”
The new bridge was funded with help from state and federal agencies, including the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and Federal Highway Administration.
“We got this with help from many outsourced agencies,” Arnone said, calling the NJTPA “extremely vital” in being able to move the project financially. “Going through all the administrative parts of it, all the construction component side, the approvals, the design, the soft costs, the hard costs, all those – we are roughly about $113 million. And the impact to the people here in Monmouth County is zero,” he said.
Standing on the newly completed bridge, Sascha Frimpong, director of Local Project Development at the NJTPA, praised the state-county partnership.
“On behalf of the NJTPA and certainly for everyone who has worked on this project, we are so excited to be standing on the bridge and see this finished product,” she said. “We’ve been working with Monmouth County on this project for quite some time, and we are grateful to be at this milestone here today.”
“There’s a lot of federal funds that come this way because of the leadership that you have in this county,” Frimpong added.
Beyond its function as vehicular transportation, the new bridge is designed with pedestrians and cyclists in mind.
“This new bridge makes travel safer for everyone, including people who are walking and people who are biking,” Frimpong said. “This project is a great example of how Monmouth County and the NJTPA work together to put federal dollars to work at the local level.”
Frimpong noted that the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge project was among the first to come out of a revised project delivery process initiated in 2010 in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“The county has been a pioneer in helping us prove that process out and show that it really can work when we collaborate well with our stakeholders, our communities and our local government leaders,” she said.
According to Arnone, bridge S-32 reflects a distinct Monmouth County character, noting design details like wrought iron siding and lighting.
“You ride through a Monmouth County bridge, you’re going to know you’re on a Monmouth County bridge,” he said. “This new movable bridge, which carries County Route 520 over the Shrewsbury River between the boroughs of Rumson and Sea Bright, represents a significant, significant upgrade.”
The next phase of the project includes demolition of the old bridge. Once removed, the surrounding greenspace, which has served as a staging area throughout construction, will be restored as public parkland. Rumson Borough is also seeking county funding for a larger park overhaul.
New Oceanic Bridge on the Way
As the ceremony closed, attention shifted to Monmouth County’s next major infrastructure undertaking, the replacement of the Oceanic Bridge (S-31), which links Rumson and Middletown.
“We are looking forward to what lies ahead as we begin the replacement,” Hemphill said.
The Oceanic Bridge project is now in the Local Preliminary Engineering (LPE) Phase, which will finish in about two years before moving into final design and construction. Like S-32, the project will involve a coordinated effort among the county, NJDOT, NJTPA and federal agencies.
“I also want to note that this is just one of many projects that the county is working on in partnership with the NJTPA, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway (Administration),” Frimpong said.
The bridge, which she called “near and dear” to the hearts of residents, “just started the preliminary engineering phase and is also funded through the local programs.”
According to Frimpong, the Oceanic Bridge is on track to be the “highest cost bridge that we have ever advanced.”
“But I am not nervous at all about how we’re going to keep funding that one,” she added.
In addition to large-scale bridge projects, Monmouth County continues to collaborate with the NJTPA on local safety initiatives aimed at improving roadway conditions for all users.
“The improvements will have proven safety measures to the roadways for all users, helping the state of New Jersey reach its goal of zero fatalities by 2040,” Frimpong said. In January, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill aiming to end all traffic fatalities in the state by 2040 by establishing a special commission to implement safety initiatives.
“We have accomplished a lot in Monmouth County in partnership, and we continue to look forward to our partnership with Monmouth County and all of its municipalities,” Frimpong said.
The article originally appeared in the August 7 – 13, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
