Shark River Channel to be closed to marine traffic Tuesday and Wednesday

BELMAR/AVON-BY-THE-SEA — The Shark River Channel between the boroughs of Belmar and Avon-By-The-Sea will be closed to marine traffic on Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1 for emergency repairs to the Route 71 Drawbridge.

The closure, which will begin at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and go on until 6 p.m. on Wednesday, was announced by New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials in a press release Thursday afternoon. If work is completed early, the channel will reopen sooner than scheduled.

According to the press release, “the closure is necessary to lower the bridge slightly to install components necessary for the repair.”

The Route 71 Drawbridge over Shark River, connecting the two boroughs, is currently non-operational following a mechanical malfunction that took place on March 1. Following a brief closure to both marine and vehicular traffic, the bridge was successfully opened to all marine traffic on March 12 following emergency repairs to secure the bridge in an open position utilizing a crane.

NJDOT is legally obligated under federal law to allow marine traffic to pass through the channel, as marine traffic has the right of way. By law, the bridge must remain open to allow marine traffic to pass until all emergency repair efforts have been completed, however the press release states that “it may be necessary to close the channel to marine traffic at times for safety reasons during the repair.”

“NJDOT understands the impact this has on the local community and is advancing the repair design as quickly as possible to expedite full functionality of the bridge,” the press release states. “Parts for the repair are being fabricated. The goal is to complete the work by Memorial Day. Route 71/Main Street will be closed and detoured during construction.”

DETOURS

Vehicular traffic remains closed throughout bridge repairs efforts. While vehicular access is available for all side roads leading up to and next to the bridge on both sides, detours are implemented a few blocks ahead from the closed bridge.

The following detours are currently in place during bridge repair efforts:

For northbound traffic from Belmar into Avon-By-The-Sea, motorists will be directed to turn left onto 8th Avenue, turn right onto Route 35 northbound, then continue over the Route 35/Shark River Bridge and follow signs for Avon-By-The-Sea.

For southbound traffic from Avon-By-The-Sea into Belmar, motorists will be directed to turn right onto Sylvania Avenue, stay right and take the ramp to Route 35 South/Belmar, take Route 35 over the Shark River Bridge into Belmar, then turn left onto Eighth Avenue and follow to Route 71/Main Street.

Motorists can visit NJDOT’s traffic information website at 511nj.org for real-time travel information.

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