By Sunayana Prabhu
RUMSON – After years of bureaucratic foot-dragging, Gov. Phil Murphy has intervened in the Oceanic Bridge replacement project, requesting the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the entity with final say in the matter, reconsider proposals from the county and citizen groups for a lower bridge height.
The proposed replacement of the Oceanic Bridge over the Navesink River between Middletown and Rumson has been stalled due to a dispute regarding the height and design of the bridge.
Any proposed bridge is subject to approval by the USCG, which is requiring a fixed bridge with at least 65 feet of clearance above mean high water, with a roadway height of 81 feet. By contrast, many local government organizations and community groups have advocated for a bascule (movable) bridge with lower clearance and therefore a lower overall height. The county has advocated for a 50-foot height.
In a letter from Murphy Sept. 22, the governor wrote to “respectfully request” the USCG “reconsider its decision regarding the minimum height and design of the proposed replacement of the Oceanic Bridge.”
Addressing Adm. Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, USCG, and Acting Administrator Stephanie Pollack of the Federal Highway Administration, the governor insisted a decision be made and the long-delayed project move forward.
“I am advised that even a fixed bridge with 50 feet of clearance would accommodate nearly all vessels that regularly travel the Navesink. A movable bridge would accommodate all of them.”
According to the county’s website, replacement of the Oceanic Bridge is much needed, given the current bridge’s poor state of repair. “But with the USCG and local parties at an impasse, no project is underway,” the letter said. For these reasons, Murphy has asked the USCG to revisit the alternative proposals made by Monmouth County and by the community. “I am sympathetic to my constituents’ concerns and believe they are worthy of consideration,” Murphy said.
Monmouth County has already proposed a preliminary preferred alternative of a fixed bridge with 50 feet of clearance above mean high water. For comparison, the current Oceanic Bridge has approximately 22 feet of clearance above mean high water. In an email response to The Two River Times in July, Thomas A. Arnone, Monmouth County Commissioner director, confirmed that “the next two phases prior to construction are Preliminary Engineering and Final Design. The Construction Phase will begin after Final Design is completed. The estimated start of construction is 2027/2028.”
The project team, consisting of Monmouth County, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and NJDOT, will continue to seek public input and hold public meetings throughout these two remaining project phases. “The next public meeting is anticipated in the Spring of 2023,” Arnone said.
However, Rik van Hemmen, president of Navesink Maritime Heritage Association, believes 50 feet of height clearance is “not a smart move.” Van Hemmen said the height would restrict passage of intercoastal sailboats, essentially reducing “Red Bank and Fair Haven to backwaters.”
Which is why he and many others have suggested a lower bascule bridge to allow all manner of boats through when open.
Rumson and Middletown residents – those who would be directly affected by any Oceanic Bridge replacement project – have expressed serious concerns about the negative impacts of building an 81-foot high bridge over the Navesink.
Such a bridge would have a steeper grade than the lower bridge preferred by the community, making the crossing by walkers, joggers and bikers more challenging, increasing vehicle noise, and creating more dangerous conditions in icy and snowy weather.
In addition, residents have claimed that such a high bridge may disrupt views of homes and businesses near and along the Navesink and consequentially affect property values in both Middletown and Rumson.
The article originally appeared in the September 29 – October 5, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
