AVON-BY-THE-SEA — The age of the Main Street/Route 71 drawbridge is hindering efforts to acquire replacement parts so that it can be repaired, Avon borough officials said this week.
The bridge spanning the Shark River Inlet between Avon and Belmar has been closed to vehicular traffic since it sustained mechanical damage on March 1. New Jersey Department of Transportation [NJDOT] officials said replacement parts for the spanlock mechanism, which enables the nearly century-old bridge to raise or lower, are needed.
Avon borough officials have recently been in contact with the NJDOT commissioner and plan to continue that conversation at an upcoming meeting. Mayor Edward Bonanno said during Monday’s commissioners meeting that NJDOT officials completely understand the town’s urgent need to get the bridge back up and operational, but the part issue complicates matters.
Elizabeth Galamba, public information officer for NJDOT, told The Coast Star that the agency is fabricating parts for the repair of the structure and the repair design is being advanced as quickly as possible to expedite full functionality of the bridge.
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