def #171 08/31/10
TRAFFIC MOVES AGAIN ON BEACH BOULEVARD BRIDGE
LACEY TOWNSHIP - Traffic was again given the green light over the Beach Boulevard Bridge, here, but gone was the aging bridge and motorists are now
riding across 233 feet of a newly constructed span.
"Nearly 4,000 residents live in the vicinity of this bridge, in and around the Forked River beach section of the township, and we know that once
open, they will be part of the 8,000 trips made across the bridge every day," said Freeholder John P. Kelly, Director of Law and Public Safety. "With all
that volume we could not allow the prior bridge to stand any longer and so we choose to fully replace it and we did with a new and slightly wider span."
Kelly was joined with Lacey Township officials, representatives from the state Department of Transportation and other representatives from Ocean
County government in cutting a ceremonial ribbon to mark the opening of the span, which crosses over the south branch of the Forked River.
Local emergency responders were invited to be the first vehicles to cross the bridge.
"We asked our local emergency responders to be the first because here in Ocean County safety of our residents is imperative and getting quick response to
you in an emergency is paramount," Kelly said. "This new bridge was built with your safety in mind."
Demolition started on the old span, built in 1967, on March 3.
"I am happy to be here, just short of six months later, to celebrate the opening of the new span," Kelly said.
Kelly noted this was an innovative bridge project with the contractor using many prefabricated parts, allowing him to maintain an extremely accelerated
construction schedule.
The new bridge offers bicycle lanes and a slightly higher clearance for boats passing on the river.
"Had we gone a traditional route, the work could have taken as long as two years," Kelly said. "We expect the life span of this bridge will be
almost 100 years. Refurbishing the old span would have extended its use for only 20 years."
In 2006, cracks began to develop in the second beam on the west side of the structure. Ocean County continued to monitor the bridge and by 2009 the
bridge began to deteriorate further. Replacing the structurally deficient span was more beneficial and cost effective.
The new span is 38 feet wide. It includes two lanes, each 12 feet wide, and two shoulders, each seven feet wide to accommodate a four-foot wide bike lane,
which is separated from the lane of travel by three feet.
The new span is constructed on concrete filled steel pipe piles, concrete pile caps, with a cast in place reinforced concrete deck.
The old structure had been constructed on timber piles.
"I want to thank the Lacey Township officials, the state representatives, the contractor and the Ocean County Engineering Department staff for a job well
done." Kelly said. "I also want to send my gratitude to the residents. The inconvenience truly was temporary. The new span, which is safer, wider, better
constructed, is permanent."
Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, a temporary roadway constructed as part of the detour to provide access to the area was closed.
The contractor for the project was Midlantic Construction LLC. The amount of the project was about $4.9 million.
