County Announces Upcoming Night Closures for 96th Street Bridge

STONE HARBOR – The 96th Street Bridge, along Stone Harbor Boulevard, leading into Stone Harbor, will be undergoing continuing emergency repairs to the bascule span (movable span) during nighttime hours between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. June 29-July 1.
According to a release, the work the night of July 1 will be the last night that the bridge will be closed for the immediate future. Due to the nature of the work, the bridge cannot remain open as work proceeds. Thru traffic wishing to access Stone Harbor via Stone Harbor Boulevard will be detoured during these work times, with access to Stone Harbor directed to Avalon Boulevard.
Local traffic wishing to access businesses and residences up to the west side of the bridge will be permitted to proceed along Stone Harbor Boulevard. The bridge will re-open at 6 a.m. each workday and remain open until 8 p.m. that night.
Also, to the repairs of the bascule span framing elements, work taking place on Monday night thru Wednesday night will also include the construction of three raised “Speed Tables” approaching the westerly side of the bridge. The construction of the speed tables will require paving equipment so there will be noise occurring throughout those nights. Since the construction of the speed tables requires that the roadway be closed to traffic, the work is being scheduled concurrently with the planned bridge closure to minimize the times when the roadway will be closed.
The speed table consists of a level section of paving that is raised 3” above the normal riding surface by means of a ramped section of paving. The purpose of the speed table is to force drivers to slow down as they traverse the table. Therefore, motorists are urged to take note of the new speed table locations and slow down as they approach.
There will be additional signage, markings, and traffic control devices installed to alert drivers of the paving changes. The installation of the speed tables has been endorsed by both Middle Township and Stone Harbor, as a traffic calming measure intended to slow traffic for the benefit of the public and to reduce impact onto the aging bridge structure.