CREST HAVEN – Freeholders (their title will change to County Commissioners Jan. 1, per legislation signed Aug. 14 by the governor) approved a 15-year comprehensive bridge replacement and improvement plan Aug. 25. The document (http://bit.ly/CMCBridgePlan) is the culmination of a group effort that included the Engineer’s Office, Planning Department, Bridge Commission, and Purchasing.
The idea behind the two-year project was to identify and prioritize improvements needed or replacements on the 23 county-owned bridges and five commission-owned spans. No funds were set aside since it will be determined in the future which bridges will require repairs or replacing.
Freeholder Will Morey told the board that, among others, Brittany Smith, county treasurer, Purchasing Agent Kevin Lare, and Leon Costello “helped to lay the groundwork for this comprehensive financial plan.”
Morey also cited the “county residents” who had “been really focused on the need for this infrastructure plan.”
“These bridges are gigantically important to the health and safety and economic welfare of (the county),” he said.
Further, Morey said it was “really important” that the plan is in place “before we have additional problems with bridges.”
One of the major bridge replacement projects still on the drawing board is for the Middle Thorofare Bridge, which links the Wildwoods and Lower Township along Ocean Drive.
The plan gives an overview of each bridge’s condition and their needs. It also provides an estimate of the construction costs of specified work following current bridge design contracts, conceptual planned bridges, and cost estimates of recommended work.
The statement on the resolution concludes that the plan is a “systematic plan forward.”
Any funding allocation “will be discussed and authorized on a case-by-case basis” by the board, the resolution states.
Quick takeaways from the meeting: