By KAYLA J. MARSH
Staff writer
ABERDEEN – Monmouth County Bridge MA-14 spanning over Matawan Creek on Amboy Avenue and West Front Street will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic until late 2017 in order to make way for the replacement of the 100-year-old structure.
According to a release from the Monmouth County Department of Information and Tourism, detour signs will be posted and Route 35 is expected to serve as the major alternate route.
Signs on Amboy Avenue and West Front Street, Prospect Avenue in Aberdeen, Broadway in Keyport and Route 35 are expected to assist drivers in avoiding the construction area.
According to a release from the Monmouth County Department of Information and Tourism, the existing bridge and approaches are within the 100-year flood area and can be severely impacted from high tides and storm surge flooding.
The $23.5 million project involves the replacement of the existing four-span steel girder bridge.
The roadway profile will be raised to provide 12 feet of clearance and the bridge will be replaced on a similar alignment to the existing one and with a similar structure type.
The new four-span steel girder bridge is expected to be approximately 350 feet long and is expected to consist of reinforced concrete abutments and piers supported by drilled shaft foundations, roadway supported on Column Supported Embankment System, reinforced concrete deck slabs and sidewalks, bridge traffic and pedestrian barriers consisting of open steel railing systems and painted steel girders and decorative pedestrian lighting provided on both sides of the bridge.
A substantial portion of the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 and final completion expected by the end of March, 2018.
The George Harms Construction Company in Howell is the contractor for the project and the Federal Highway Administration is contributing $22.276 million of federal dollars, 95 percent towards the project.