Area Bridges Among Those Listed by State as Deficient or Obsolete

TRENTON –– Area spans such as the Beesley’s Point, Townsends Inlet, Grassy Sound and Middle Thoroughfare bridges were deemed “structurally deficient,” while others, such as those that connect local barrier islands to the mainland were labeled functionally obsolete by a recent state report.
On Oct. 2, the Department of Transportation (DOT) released “Highway Carrying Bridges in New Jersey,” which details the condition of the state’s over 6,400 bridges and the estimated costs to maintain and fix the nearly 2,200 in need of repair.
The report was a result of Governor Jon S. Corzine’s August 2 directive, which followed the tragic collapse of the highway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minn.
The DOT study identifies the need for $13.58 billion in infrastructure needs for these troubled bridges. In order to pay for the repairs, the report indicates that the state will have to increase its bridge funding to $800 million annually, an increase of $291 million over its current spending level.
“Maintaining the structural integrity of New Jersey’s bridges is critical to our safety, quality of life and economic vitality,” said DOT Commissioner Kris Kolluri.
“The Final Bridge Report and Capital Investment Analysis provides a blueprint to improve infrastructure investment planning in order to ensure the continued safety of our bridges.”
The report also broke down the costs to eliminate structurally deficient bridges by the owners.
Bridges in this county that are municipally owned, for instance, would cost $65 million to repair, while those owned by the county bridge commission require $200 million and the privately owned Beesley’s Point Bridge would cost $140 million to fix.
There are also bridges in this county on the Garden State Parkway that are included in the $1.68 billion needed to repair those owned by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Many of the bridges in this county are aging and in need of repair. In the report they were rated using a Federal Highway Administration system on a 0 to 100 scale. According to the study, the lower the rating the higher the need for funding.
A bridge is considered structurally deficient if the deck, superstructure and/or substructure are deteriorated, while it is considered to be functionally obsolete if it contains sub-standard geometric features, such as narrow lanes or shoulders, poor approach roadway alignment or inadequate vertical under-clearance.
The Middle Thoroughfare Bridge, a toll bridge that carries Ocean Drive in Lower Township, was built in 1939 and is owned by the county bridge commission. The report found it to be structurally deficient and it rated a score of 7 percent on the federal scale.
The condition of the bridge recently led Lower Township Police Chief Edward P. Donohue to direct vehicles weighing over 15 tons, including Lower Township fire engines responding to calls, to use the George Redding Bridge when traveling to Diamond Beach.
Similarly, three of the other four bridge commission spans that carry Ocean Drive were rated deficient: the Grassy Sound Bridge, 7 percent; Corsons Inlet, 12.4 percent; and Townsends Inlet, 7 percent.
Only the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, which was rehabilitated in 2003, was deemed not deficient rating a score of 87.2 percent.
Of the 23 other bridges that carry county roads, six were found to be functionally obsolete and one was structurally deficient.
The Stone Harbor, Avalon and Sea Isle Boulevard bridges were among those that were obsolete, while the closed Marshalville Road Bridge in Upper Township was deficient with a score of 23 percent.
The Beesleys Point Bridge, which carries Route 9 and has been closed since June 2004, received a score of 9.1 percent.
The county has sued the DOT urging them to take some action over the private owners of the bridge. The county wants the owners to make needed repairs or to have the state take control of and reopen the bridge.
To fix the problems with bridges in this county and throughout New Jersey, the report suggests that the state increase annual bridge funding over a 10-year period, continue bridge inspection programs and enhance its system for managing capital investments for bridge maintenance programs.
Two possible ways to pay for the increased spending would be to increase the state’s 14.5-cent gas tax or to raise prices on state toll roads.
Corzine has also suggested the monetization of state assets, which would sell or lease the Turnpike and Parkway to a private contractor. This idea, however, has met opposition from government officials and the public alike.
Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew (D-1st) and Sen. Nicholas Asselta (R-1st), who are both vying for Asselta’s Senate seat, have spoken out against the plan.
A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released in August found that around 61 percent of voters, both Democrat and Republican, opposed Corzine’s plan to lease the toll roads.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com