In the Press...
Asbury Park Press ArticleMonmouth County gets $2M from FEMA for bridge repairSmith Visited Bridge with County & Township Officials in Push to Effort BridgeBy Asbury Park Press Staff Writer Jay Scott Smith -- The funding comes more than two years after the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied local requests for reimbursements, saying the bridge was already needing repair before a tidal wave from the October 2012 storm swamped the structure. "This sorely needed funding will pave the way toward replacement of the Bray Avenue Bridge," said Middletown Mayor Stephanie Murray. "The closure of this bridge has been an inconvenience for emergency responders and area motorists." Officials had been waiting to hear whether Congress, which must approve FEMA reimbursements over $1 million, would release the funds. Word of the approval came late Monday, which set off a spirited race of officials eager to tell area motorists about the news. Monmouth County Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone said the funding, which represents 90 percent of the $2.2 million repair costs, allows the county to move ahead with the project. It will go out to bids this spring with construction to start in the fall. A new bridge could be open by summer 2016. The bridge, which links Port Monmouth and North Middletown sections of the township, has been closed since January 2013 when inspections showed the flooding from Sandy sped up the bridge's deterioration. But FEMA denied the county's initial requests for federal aid to fix the structure because the bridge needed repairs before the storm. County officials appealed and sought help federal leaders. As of April 2014, FEMA offered $190,000 for the bridge, according to a letter U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone sent FEMA. That's less than 10 percent of the price tag for repairs. "While the County acknowledges that the bridge was not in pristine condition prior to Sandy, the bridge was functioning and was safe for vehicular traffic," Pallone, D-N.J. wrote. "It was only after the damage caused by the storm was assessed that the determination was made to close the bridge."
Pallone and Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who visited the bridge last fall, lobbied for the funding. In addition, another $3.75 million in federal funds has been authorized to make repairs to the Sandy-damaged Romer Shoal Lighthouse, which sits three nautical miles north of Sandy Hook. The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. This story was originally printed in the March 18, 2015 print edition of the Asbury Park Press: |
