BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the start of a preventative bridge maintenance project that will make repairs to nine bridges along Routes 13, 35 and 88 in Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex counties.
Route 13 travels through Point Pleasant; Route 35 connects Point Pleasant to Brielle to Sayreville; and Route 88 goes through Brielle, according to information provided by Kevin Israel, public information officer for DOT. Route 71 by Route 35 in Brielle will be affected as well.
To help extend the service life of these bridges, DOT will be performing different levels of bridge maintenance work at each location including deck patching, curb repair, expansion joint reconstruction, header reconstruction, sidewalk repair, deck crack repairs, cleaning of drainage systems, power washing and application of a corrosion inhibitor, according to a statement provided by DOT.
Work also will be performed below each structure, including repairs to abutment walls and piers, epoxy waterproofing, and lubrication of bearings.
Work will not take place on more than two bridges concurrently.
“The type of work involved in this multi-year maintenance contract does not have a set schedule. The work will be performed throughout the three-year term of the contract with some items performed monthly, quarterly and even yearly. As work arises and is scheduled, DOT will inform the public,” Israel said.
Work on weekdays will be restricted to off-peak hours, mid-morning to mid-afternoon or overnight hours. Alternating traffic may be necessary for some local roads, maintaining one travel lane with traffic controlled by flagmen. All lanes will be maintained during peak period commuting hours and on weekends.
The project is expected to complete in the summer of 2019.
Visit www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.