County pushing plan for new Patten Ave. bridge
Cost of work expected to be roughly $4 million; should improve safety
By Sherry conohan
Staff Writer
MONMOUTH BEACH — A new, wider Patten Avenue bridge, possibly sporting a fishing platform, will be built in the not-too-distant future.
Commissioner William C. Barham, director of public works, reported Monmouth County plans to replace the present 20-foot-wide bridge with one that has a 30-foot-wide roadway plus a pedestrian walkway.
The present bridge has no pedestrian walkway.
In addition, Barham said, the county is planning to include a fishing pier as part of the project; however, he said, he didn’t know if the borough would allow one.
"It’s going to be a great improvement for the community," he said referring to the new bridge at the commission’s meeting Sept. 19.
Monmouth County Engineer Theodore A. Giannechini, when contacted later, said the design contract for the bridge already has been awarded to Greeman-Pedersen Inc., of Lebanon, for $650,000.
Giannechini said he expected to put the job out to bid at the end of next year. He said it will take that long because of the land and permits that must be acquired.
He explained the project must first go through several steps, beginning with the Historic Preservation Office at the state Department of Environmental Protection, to be followed by the acquisition of a waterfront development permit from the DEP, after which it must undergo review and get authorization from the Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Giannechini said the cost of replacing the bridge is estimated to be $4 million, with the funds coming from the $25 million the county got from the 1999 state bridge bond issue.
He said the $25 million should be enough to finance the design and construction of 14 bridges.
According to Giannechini, the top of the new Patten Avenue bridge, which links Monmouth Beach to North Long Branch, will be 5 feet higher than the present bridge, and the bottom side of the bridge will be 3 feet higher off the water than the present bridge.
That will permit slightly larger boats to pass under it, he said.
"We’re also investigating putting a fishing platform on the bridge," Giannechini said, explaining that it would be positioned over the channel.
This would make it safe for people to fish off the bridge, he said.
Mayor James P. McConville III said he wasn’t sure he wanted a fishing platform, because he was concerned about the safety of those using it, but, he said he would talk to officials in the county about the possibility of having one. If they believe that a fishing platform can be built in such a way as to assure the safety of people walking out to it, he said he would be willing to consider one.
He added that parking for the people using the fishing platform is also a consideration.
Barham said the borough will want some input as to when the bridge will be replaced, and Giannechini said the county definitely would work with the borough on the timing. Giannechini said the county was aware of, and concerned about, the bridge’s availability for an emergency evacuation should one be necessary in the event of a hurricane or other bad storm.
McConville said he also was concerned about traffic in the summer because the bridge and Patten Avenue are in heavy use by people going to the beach. He hoped it wouldn’t be out of commission for two summers during construction.
"The first thing we’re going to do is to talk to residents of that area, and then talk to the chief of police about safety to determine the best timing," he said.
Giannechini said the bridge would take about nine months to complete.
"We’ll sit down with the borough and work this out," he promised.
Giannechini emphasized that the design for the bridge is in the preliminary stages only, and said he has a personal interest in its construction.
"My dad lived over there," he said, on Manahassett Avenue in North Long Branch, "so I’ve got a soft place in my heart for that area."
McConville said that a new bridge definitely is needed.
"It’s a narrow bridge," he noted. "When people are visiting Monmouth Beach, they have to slow down [to pass] when there’s a runner on the road.
"We’re very excited about it," he said.