Traffic changes due for bridge work on Rte. 36
Span over creek will be widened to prevent flooding
BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer

HAZLET - Residents of Hazlet and Union Beach will encounter some traffic changes while work is underway on a new bridge that will involve some changes to Route 36.

New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) officials met with residents and officials from both towns on Jan. 31 to discuss upcoming lane shifts as well as other roadway construction. The first shift in traffic, on the side of Route 36 was originally scheduled to occur on Feb. 1, but has been moved back to Feb. 8.

On Feb. 15 the westbound side will have a lane shift that will only last a few days, according to DOT project manager Ahmad Qureshi.

The meeting, which was held at the Union Beach Municipal Building, was called to inform residents, officials and the business community about the construction plans for a new bridge on Route 36 over Flat Creek in Union Beach and Hazlet to offset flooding problems.

In the planned project, the new bridge will provide an 86-foot wide roadway, carrying four 12-foot lanes, two 15- foot deceleration lanes, two 3-foot shoulders with a 2-foot median barrier and two 6-foot sidewalks.

The project plans call for the Route 36 bridge would remain as a single span bridge. The new bridge will be a little more than 5 feet higher at the midpoint than the existing span, with the roadway profile tapering down to the existing roadway over a length of 1,100 feet.

DOT Community Relations Officer Tony Marsella said that the DOT held the meeting so that the agency could get input from residents and officials and inform them of the work that will be underway over the next few years.

"We will be working Monday through Friday during the day on this project," Marsella said. "During our first stage of work, we will have two lanes of traffic open at all times on both sides."

The reason the roadwork is being done during the day is that it is more cost effective than doing the work at night, he said.

The construction plan calls for four stages.

Stage one started on Nov. 15 and will last until July 1. This phase consists of temporary widening of the road, utility relocation and building demolition.

The buildings include three, onestory buildings at 950 Route 36 in Hazlet and a one-and-half story building at 707 State Highway 36 in Union Beach, with another associated building and a shed on the same lot, he said.

Stage 2A, which is scheduled to begin July 8 and run until Nov. 28, will involve construction on the northbound side of the bridge.

The reason that a new bridge is needed, according Marsella, is that the existing span "has an inadequate waterway opening that causes significant roadway flooding."

The DOT will construct the new bridge to help alleviate the flooding and to meet current highway standards.

Stage 2B is projected to last until April 8, 2009, and will consist of roadway construction on the northbound side of Route 36.

The next stage, Stage 3A, will be bridge construction on the south side, which will take place through Sept. 25, 2009, with 3B being roadway construction on Route 36 south projected to be completed by Oct. 21 of that year.

The final stage, Stage 4, will be the final paving and installation of traffic signals is expected to last until

Nov. 4, 2009.

The final cleanup will occur until Dec. 30 with

the completion of the project projected for

Jan. 28, 2010.

Hazlet Chief of Police

James Broderick said that the DOT sends him e-mails

when a lane shift or closure occurs so that his department can find a different route in an emergency.

"We then send an e-mail to the fire department and first aid right away so that they can adjust as well," Broderick said. "The DOT has always been very timely in letting us know this information."

One such detour that was brought up at the meeting was the lane closure near Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Keyport on Route 36 and how it will affect vehicles leaving the parking lot area.

According to Qureshi, the exit onto Route 36 will be closed off to vehicles which will have to use the back entrance toward Front Street and detour to a section of the highway further north.

He also said that the DOT would take into consideration working around the church's annual carnival.

"When we developed the plan we coordinated with local businesses as well as the church on what we were planning on doing," Qureshi said. "Many [comments] of what we have heard is being taken into consideration."

The existing bridge has two through lanes and one deceleration lane in each direction with a total width of 82 feet. There will be two 6-foot sidewalks adjacent to the roadway on the north and south sides of the bridge.

According to a release from DOT, the project will, "create a flood storage area on the southwest side of the bridge and will raise the roadway profile within the limits of the bridge to allow for the required opening to pass the design floodwaters without flooding the road."

"The new skewed abutments will accommodate the new waterway opening so that flood water can flow through the substructure without over-topping the roadway," the plan states.

Qureshi said that the DOT personnel would look over the suggestions from the meeting with the project planner and coordinator and make adjustments that may be necessary.