[UPDATE: New Jersey Transit has rescheduled the start of this project to Thursday, December 6]
Commuter alert: A portion of Shrewsbury Avenue in Red Bank is slated for closure beginning Monday for work on the North Jersey Coast Line railroad crossing.
Bridge-crossing local residents, commuters and others get to weigh in on matters concerning a couple of drawbridges on the Greater Red Bank Green in coming weeks.
Work to repair an overnight sewer line break forced the closure of Shrewsbury Avenue between West Front and Oakland streets in Red Bank early Friday morning. There was no immediate estimate on when the busy stretch of road might reopen. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
Todd Thompson, seated at center, discussing bridge options with other attendees at the Rumson session. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
What should be done about the crumbling Oceanic Bridge between Rumson and Middletown?
Area residents were offered dozens of options Tuesday as Monmouth County officials hit the reset button on an earlier process derailed by a change in federal regulations.
The Oceanic Bridge between Rumson and Middletown is in “critical” condition, according to the Monmouth County Engineer’s office, and officials plan to unveil “conceptual alternatives” for its replacement or repair at meetings slated in each town today.
A Red Bank couple was charged with criminal fraud in connection with federal relief funds for victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the New Jersey Attorney General’s office announced Wednesday.
James Avellini, 67, and Susan Horty-Avellini, 65, seen at right, were among seven defendants charged with filing fraudulent applications for relief monies, the state alleged.
West Front Street in Red Bank will be closed between Maple Avenue and Broad Street Tuesday night beginning at 8 p.m. to enable road repairs between Boathouse Court and Broad, police Chief Darren McConnell tells redbankgreen. Detours will be in effect, and motorists are advised to plan ahead.
The street is expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Wednesday. (Photo by Trish Russoniello. Click to enlarge)
Boaters and kayakers shared the Navesink River with a construction barge at the Oceanic Bridge on Monday, Memorial Day. The 75-year-old span, which links Rumson and Middletown, was scheduled to close to all but marine traffic starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday for repairs to the steel bascule.
During repairs in April, deterioration was discovered in two areas of the bascule not previously accessible, Monmouth County officials said last month. The latest repairs are expected to wrap up with a reopening of the bridge on Saturday, June 13. In the meantime, seasonal rules and scheduling will be in effect for marine traffic. (Photo by Peter Lindner. Click to enlarge)
The 75-year-old span will be closed to all but marine traffic for three weeks starting May 26. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Previously unseen deterioration on the Oceanic Bridge between Rumson and Middletown will require a full shutdown of the span for three weeks following Memorial Day, Monmouth County reported Wednesday.
Overnight closures of the Oceanic Bridge between Middletown and Rumson are scheduled to begin Tuesday night as ongoing repair work to the 75-year-old span continues, according to Monmouth County officials.
Traffic will be shut down from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., Sunday through Friday morning, until April 30. A routine of single-lane closures during the day is already in effect to enable the contactor, George Harms Construction Company of Howell, to perform required work above and below the bridge deck, according to a county press release. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
A 2012 photo of the Oceanic Bridge surface. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
The Oceanic Bridge between Rumson and Middletown will undergo repair work starting next week that will entail single-lane operation during the daytime and overnight closures until mid-April, the Monmouth County government announced Friday afternoon.
Southbound traffic on Branch Avenue in Little Silver was backed up into Red Bank shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday. The slow crawl was evident on the northbound side, too, as motorists wended their way around an opening in the road for utility work. (Photo by Trish Russoniello. Click to enlarge)
A shutdown of the North Jersey Coast Line grade crossing at Broad Street in Red Bank that was originally expected to take nearly three and a half days was completed in less than two, officials said, averting anticipated traffic jams on Monday. As of 3:30 p.m. Sunday, the work was completed, and crew members were waiting for asphalt to cure, one said, with an expected reopening at midnight. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
A three-plus-day shutdown of Broad Street at the North Jersey Coast Line grade crossing begins at 10 p.m. Friday for what New Jersey Transit calls routine inspection and maintenance. The shutdown, lasting until Tuesday morning, is expected to cause traffic havoc throughout the weekend, but particularly on Monday; rail commuters are also being warned to expect delays. Here’s redbankgreen‘s full story on the closure, in case you missed it. (Photo by Trish Russoniello. Click to enlarge)
Red Bank and neighboring towns could be in for a day or more of truly bad traffic next Monday – and rail commuters may be in for headaches as well.
New Jersey Transit plans to close the heavily traveled railroad crossing at Broad Street/Route 35 to vehicular traffic starting Friday night for an estimated three-plus days of round-the-clock inspections and repairs on its North Jersey Coast Line track, a spokeswoman said.
In addition, rail traffic in both directions will be funneled onto a single track pair near the location, rather than the usual two, a move that is expected to cause mass transit delays, said spokeswoman Nancy Snyder.
A Matawan contractor was sentenced to five years in state prison for taking deposits for Hurricane Sandy related work he never started or completed in Sea Bright, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said in an announcement Saturday.
John Martocci, 59, was sentenced Friday on two counts of third degree theft by deception by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge John Tassini.
Sea Bright will get $8.5 million from the state to repair and fill gaps in its seawall, adding protection from future storms for the downtown, Governor Chris Christie said in a visit to the borough Thursday, according to NJ.com. Financed by the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Shore Protection Fund, the project is scheduled to go out to bid later this year, with construction slated to begin next spring or early next summer, Christie said. Above, a portion of the barrier as it appeared in May. (Click to enlarge)
The long-awaited restoration of the Red Bank train station, named for late mayor and state Supreme Court Justice Dan O’Hern, is on track to wrap up by late August, New Jersey Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said Thursday. Included in the $1.6 million project are the replacement of the slate roof, repairs to the clapboard exterior and historically accurate restoration of windows and gingerbread trim. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
A day after pleading guilty to defrauding Rumson homeowners over repairs to their Hurricane Sandy-damaged home, a New York man was arrested again Tuesday, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Frank Lewery, 52, of the Tottenville section of Staten Island, who was free on $75,000 pending sentencing on the fraud charges, was nabbed on “a slew of charges” Tuesday, the newspaper reports.
A New York man admitted in court Monday that he defrauded Rumson homeowners of money intended to cover repairs to their home damaged by Hurricane Sandy, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s office said.
Frank Lewery, 52, of the Tottenville section of Staten Island, pleaded guilty in Superior Court in Freehold to one count of third degree theft and one count of failing to register with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
On Sunday, a backhoe sat on the slab where the library had stood until it was demolished a day earlier. Below, an architect’s rendering of a proposed combination library and bathing pavilion. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
In 2011, when concept plans for a remodeled Sea Bright municipal parking lot were drawn up, town officials assured residents that the library building had been left off by accident. It’s not going to be torn down, they said.
Last June, when the council approved spending $70,000 to repair damage to the structure caused by Hurricane Sandy seven months earlier, the action was touted on the borough government’s Resource Center website under the headline, “Sea Bright Library to be Rebuilt.”
But last month, the borough council abruptly reversed course, deciding the library had to go. And on Saturday, the building was hastily demolished, blindsiding supporters who were racing to save it and triggering a debate on social media about the significance of the simple frame structure.
A volunteer group wants to help owners of vacant stores spruce up their properties. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By SARAH KLEPNER
A group of Sea Bright residents is asking the borough to reach out to businesses that have stalled in the post-Sandy recovery process.
With a campaign for sand replenishment, a fundraiser to replace lost beach equipment, an open-house on recovery construction and more efforts already under its belt, Seabrighters Embracing Action a community group that formed in February to help the town and each other recover from Hurricane Sandy is now turning its attention to matters of appearance.
“We’re asking the town to enforce the codes when it comes to businesses that aren’t cleaning up,” SEA founder Heather Bedenko said Tuesday night after the bimonthly borough council meeting. Closed businesses “are like black eyes on the town. We have businesses opening up between two half-demolished places,” she said.
The narrowing of twin Newman Springs Road (Route 520) bridges over the Swimming River got its first test at rush hour Tuesday morning with a long line of vehicles heading eastbound from Lincroft into Red Bank. A project to replace the decks of the two bridges is expected to take six months, with traffic reduced to one lane in each direction for the duration, according to Monmouth County officials. (Click to enlarge)
One of two spans will remain open throughout the duration of the project, but with just one lane in each direction. (Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
A taxing season begins Monday night for commuters who use Route 520 to get into and out of Red Bank.
Following the evening rush, traffic across the twin decks of the bridge over the Swimming River, between Hance Avenue and the Garden State Parkway, will be narrowed from two lanes in each direction to one.
Those few souls who traverse the span on foot or use it for fishing and crabbing will be entirely out of luck: no pedestrian access will be permitted at all.
“Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to plan alternate routes for the next six months,” the county government says in a press release, which is an improvement from last month, when it was warning of an eight-month timetable.
Motorists will face a narrowing of the twin bridges to one lane in each direction for up to eight months, officials said. (Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
The heavily traveled Newman Springs Road/Route 520 bridges linking Red Bank and Lincroft are in for a belt-tightening.
The four-lane connectors between Parkway exit 109 and points east will be narrowed to one lane in each direction for up to eight months during repairs, Monmouth County Freeholder Tom Arnone announced in a press release late Wednesday.
Work is scheduled to start on or soon after April 1, with vehicular traffic pared to two lanes for the duration, and pedestrian usage banned, according to the announcement. Weather permitting, the job is expected to wrap up in late November.