Weather permitting, bridge tenders will be trained on the opening and closing of the bridge’s bascule span for three days beginning this week.

From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, Friday, March 28 and Monday, March 31 the Oceanic Bridge will be raised and lowered during these hours for training purposes. Motorists and pedestrians should expect travel delays.

“It is essential for the operators of the bridge to be fully prepared for the busy spring and summer months ahead,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Department of Public Works and Engineering. “This training is necessary to avoid potential major delays once the bridge returns to its normal operation.”

This training is being done in advance of the bridge returning to normal operation.

The normal operating season for the bridge is from April 1 to Dec. 31 when the bascule span opens to marine traffic on demand. From Jan. 1 to March 31, the bridge opens to marine traffic with 24-hour advance notification.

The Oceanic Bridge connects Bingham Avenue (CR-8) in Rumson to Locust Point Road (CR-8B) in Middletown; both are County roads. The Oceanic Bridge is the largest of all 980 County-owned bridges and culverts, which are maintained by the Department of Public Works and Engineering.

The training is being conducted by East Coast Drawbridge, an affiliate of Drawbridge Services Inc., Pompano Beach, FL and overseen by the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering.

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