POINT PLEASANT BEACH — NJ Transit is proposing to replace the train drawbridge between Point Pleasant Beach and Brielle, requesting that maritime stakeholders along the Manasquan River provide information about their use of the waterway, the transit authority announced in a press release last week.
“New Jersey Transit (NJT) is proposing to replace the existing Brielle Draw railroad bridge between Brielle and Point Pleasant (Beach),” said the press release, dated March 25. “The new bridge would be in line with the existing bridge location and preserve existing passenger rail service across the river.”
Brielle Draw, originally built in 1911, is a single-track movable railroad drawbridge which lies on NJ Transit’s North Jersey Coast Line over the Manasquan River.
“Like the existing bridge, the proposed replacement bridge would also include a movable span to replace the existing drawbridge to ensure continued maritime navigation between the Manasquan River and Atlantic Ocean via the Manasquan Inlet,” NJ Transit said.
“In conjunction with the design effort, NJT is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard for the completion of a Navigation Impact Report which will be used to assist in the confirmation of the preliminary preferred alternative (PPA) for the project. As part of the Navigation Impact Report, the existing and potential future use of the segment of the Manasquan River in the vicinity of the bridge needs to be evaluated,” the release states.
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, a PPA “is an alternative solution,” selected based on “environmental impacts, constructability, cost effectiveness, how effectively the alternative addresses the project need and if the project can be constructed in a timely manner.”
“To determine the impacts of this project on current and future navigation along the Manasquan River, we kindly request that you fill out the attached questionnaire regarding your business and/or recreational usage of the river,” NJ Transit said.
The Manasquan River Navigation Impact Report Existing and Future Use Questionnaire can be found here. NJ Transit requests that the questionnaire be completed by Friday, May 2.
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