Van Drew to Conduct Site Visit of Great Egg Harbor Bridge

TRENTON – Senator Jeff Van Drew announced that he will meet with a member of the Christie Administration to assess the security fencing that surrounds the Great Egg Harbor Bridge connecting Upper Township in Cape May County and Somers Point in Atlantic County and to discuss additional options for its removal.
Van Drew will conduct a site visit of the bridge with Charles B. McKenna, who serves as chief counsel to Governor Christie and was previously director of the State Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. The purpose of the visit is to determine whether the fencing along the Garden State Parkway – which was approved by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and installed last year – could be removed sooner than 2013, when the project to replace the southbound span of the bridge is scheduled to begin and the fencing taken down. The senator said he is aiming to have the fencing removed prior to Memorial Day weekend or July 4th, two peak dates for tourism in the area.
“I am pleased to have a commitment from the state to remove the security fencing in 2013 as part of the Great Egg Harbor Bridge project. However, I continue to hear from residents about the need to have the area restored to its natural state sooner rather than later,” said Senator Van Drew (D-Cape May/Cumberland/Atlantic). “This visit will allow the state, through a top official from the governor’s office, to conduct another assessment of the project to determine whether the fencing could come down earlier than currently scheduled.
“I appreciate the governor’s chief counsel taking the time to travel to South Jersey to get a firsthand look at the project,” added Van Drew. “If there is anyone who understands homeland security issues and the effectiveness of preventive measures it is Mr. McKenna, the former state director of homeland security.”
The existence of high-security fencing along the scenic route has caused widespread concern among residents in the area. Van Drew has made numerous requests to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the Department of Transportation, and the governor’s office for the fencing to be taken down. He announced last month the fence would, in fact, be removed.
“My request to the state has been that it use in-house labor and equipment to take down the fencing and that it reuse the materials for other projects within New Jersey, in order to ensure there is no additional expenditure on outside labor and minimal loss of materials,” said Senator Van Drew. “I believe this approach is both responsible and achievable. The question now becomes how soon we can get it done.”
The site visit will take place during the month of April. Van Drew said he will report back to residents of the legislative district following the meeting.