County and state officials hope to start construction of the new bridge by 2020.
SEA BRIGHT - It is still going to take several years for the deteriorating Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge to be replaced.
However, the long-awaited project took another step forward Wednesday with two public meetings that were held to discuss the latest design concepts for the new $60 million bridge.
County and state officials held public information sessions on each side of the Shrewsbury River on Wednesday to discuss design elements, such as the elimination of a cul-de-sac that was initially proposed for the intersection of Rumson Road and Ward Avenue on the Rumson side of the bridge.
The existing Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge was built in 1950 and is presently in "overall serious condition and is structurally deficient" despite being an emergency evacuation route for Sea Bright during coastal storms, county officials said, adding the goal is to have the entire cost to replace the county bridge federally funded.
The new bridge would have a similar design as the existing bridge, but would be located just south of it and would be about 16-feet wider, to allow for wider shoulders on each side of the bridge's two Sea Bright-bound lanes and one Rumson-bound lane.
Due to the new location of the proposed bridge, which would encroach into West Park on the Rumson side of the bridge, Wednesday's meeting also discussed plans to connect the two sides of the park with a walkway, as well as the discovery of two archeological sites - a Native American site and a late-1800's residential development - at the park, which briefly delayed the project's progress.
On the Sea Bright side of bridge, the proposed design calls for the relocation of - and improvements to - the traffic light at the intersection of Rumson Road and Ocean Avenue.
Engineers said these changes - which include extended turning lanes in each direction heading toward the bridge and improved synchronization of the traffic light to help alleviate traffic congestion - would also require some turning restrictions into and out of the businesses, beach clubs and apartments immediately south of the intersection.
Additional parking spaces are also proposed for the former Sunoco gas station property south of the bridge, due to parking spaces on the north side of the Dunkin' Donuts property being eliminated for the new bridge.
The building that houses the Dunkin' Donuts was initially targeted for demolition under a previous version of the design plans for the new bridge. However, the current plans now call for the building to remain and for its entrance - and aforementioned parking - to be relocated farther south on Ocean Avenue.
Officials anticipate the design phase and right of way acquisitions to take until the fall of 2019 to be completed and for construction to start by the winter of 2020. It would then take approximately three years for the work to be completed.
More information on the latest design proposal and how to submit written comments - which will be accepted through Friday, July 8 - can be found on Monmouth County's website.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.