For Immediate Release:
May 27, 2016
Main Street Bridge over Deal Lake reopens
Crawford Circle work also improves
connection from Interlaken to Loch Arbour
INTERLAKEN & LOCH ARBOUR, NJ – Monmouth County’s Board of Chosen Freeholders celebrated the re-opening of the Main Street Bridge (O-11) and necessary road and safety improvements to Crawford Circle on Friday.
The bridge spans Deal Lake and connects Interlaken to Loch Arbour. Local officials, business owners and residents from Interlaken, Loch Arbour, Asbury Park and Ocean Township were on hand.
“The new bridge replaces the older structure which was built in 1925,” said Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the County’s Department of Public Works and Engineering and Tourism office. “The declining condition of the Main Street Bridge was a priority project for these Shore communities. Hard work and perseverance enabled these crucial projects to be completed before Memorial Day Weekend.”
According to Arnone, the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund contributed $3.5 million to the Main Street project, which is 82 percent of the total cost.
“With the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) running dangerously low, now is the time for action to solve this issue,” stated Arnone. “Like many other counties, Monmouth County relies on this funding source to complete important projects.”
The new bridge is 52-feet wide with two 12-foot travel lanes and two-foot shoulders and five-foot sidewalks in both directions. The project also included the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Main Street and Grassmere Avenue (CR 15). The intersection is known locally as Crawford Circle.
“The completed Main Street Bridge and Crawford Corner roundabout project improves local traffic circulation issues and enhances the view of Deal Lake,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, liaison to the County Planning Board. “The project is a positive example of some of the key transportation items identified in the County’s Draft Master Plan.”
Work to wrap-up the construction of the Bridge and Roundabout will be ongoing for several weeks and will include completing sidewalks, plantings and lighting. However, the road will remain open to vehicles and pedestrians during this final phase.
“The new bridge and roundabout improvements were well-worth the wait,” Loch Arbour Mayor Paul V. Fernicola said. “I am most pleased for the local merchants. They can get back to business with improved traffic flow as we head into the important summer season.”
Mayor Michael Nohilly of Interlaken brought his son to the ribbon cutting and said “I hope that Gus will be here to enjoy the full life of this new bridge. If the new Main Street Bridge lasts 100 years, Gus will be 108.”
The old bridge has been removed in its entirety. The bridge replacement project included the installation of drainage pipes, inlet manholes, a temporary pedestrian bridge, lighting and the relocation of an existing sanitary sewer force main and other utility relocations.
Monmouth County maintains of approximately 1,000 lane miles of roads, 980 bridges and culverts and 250 traffic signals and beacons.
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