PLUMSTED — Work will begin this fall on a new bridge over the Lahaway Creek along Route 537 in Plumsted.
The Ocean County Board of Freeholders is expected to seek bids for the project, which will replace the aging span with a new steel and concrete structure.
“We are constantly evaluating our bridges to ensure that they are safe and structurally sound,” said Freeholder John P. Kelly.
According to a press release, the existing bridge was constructed in 1939 and redecked with reinforced concrete in 1971.
Kelly said the new span will have two 12- foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders.
The construction project is expected to cost about $2.6 million.
Work will begin in September and be completed in about seven or eight months, said Freeholder Director James F. Lacey.
“The contractor will be working on one half of the bridge at a time so we will keep one lane open throughout the construction,” Lacey said. “There will be no need to detour traffic.”
Lacey said the project will be similar to other recent bridge replacements in the county in that many of the components will be prefabricated and assembled off-site.
“Doing the work in this fashion cuts the on-site construction time substantially,” he said.