Shark River Draw

Last updated
Shark River Draw
Coordinates 40°11′05″N74°01′33″W / 40.184636°N 74.025849°W / 40.184636; -74.025849 (Shark River Draw)
Carries New York and Long Branch (up until 1976)
Ocean Avenue
Crosses Shark River Inlet
Owner New Jersey Transit
ID number NJT 433
Characteristics
Design Bascule Bridge
History
Construction end1937
Location
Shark River Draw

The Shark River Draw, commonly known as the Belmar Bridge, is a moveable drawbridge that over the Shark River Inlet, an inlet at the mouth of the Shark River in the towns of Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, just west of the Atlantic Ocean. [1]

Contents

The bascule bridge, built in 1937, carries NJ Transit Rail Operations North Jersey Coast Line [2] between the Bradley Beach and Belmar stations. The bridge was built in 1937 by the New York and Long Branch Railroad. [3] It underwent a major 5-stage rehabilitation in 2013–2014. [4] [5] [6]

The drawbridge runs parallel and downstream to the fixed crossing of the New Jersey Route 35 and upstream of the moveable crossing of New Jersey Route 71 bridge to the east, together with which it is subject to the opening regulations as set out in Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations. [7]

Mechanical failures

On September 22, 2021, emergency repairs were needed after the bridge was unable to open fully, blocking marine traffic for most of the day. [8] Emergency repairs were completed and the bridge was reopened on September 30, 2021. [9]

On March 1, 2024, the bridge suffered a mechanical failure that lead to "significant damage to the machinery of the North Bridge leaf." [10] The bridge was unable to open for marine vessels for nearly two weeks. On March 12, a crane was brought in to manually lift the moveable sections and keep them in the open position, closing the roadway to all traffic but allowing marine traffic to pass, [11] as legally required by the U.S. Coast Guard. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 35</span> State highway in eastern New Jersey, US

Route 35 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey, primarily traveling through the easternmost parts of Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. It runs 58.11 mi (93.52 km) from the entrance to Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township, Ocean County to an intersection with Route 27 in Rahway, Union County. Between Seaside Park and Mantoloking, Route 35 follows the right-of-way of the former Pennsylvania Railroad along the Jersey Shore. The route heads through Point Pleasant Beach and crosses the Manasquan River on the Brielle Bridge, meeting Route 34 and Route 70 at the former Brielle Circle in Wall Township. From there, Route 35 heads north and intersects Route 138, an extension of Interstate 195, continuing north through Monmouth County before crossing the Victory Bridge over the Raritan River into Perth Amboy, where the route continues north to Rahway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey</span> Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States

Avon-by-the-Sea is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,933, an increase of 32 (+1.7%) from the 2010 census count of 1,901, which in turn reflected a decline of 343 (−15.3%) from the 2,244 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belmar, New Jersey</span> Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US

Belmar is a borough situated on the Jersey Shore, within Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,907, an increase of 113 (+2.0%) from the 2010 census count of 5,794, which in turn reflected a decline of 251 (−4.2%) from the 6,045 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 71</span> State highway in New Jersey, US

Route 71 is a state highway in New Jersey that runs 16.78 miles (27.00 km) near the shore in Monmouth County. It begins at Route 35 in Brielle just north of the Manasquan River and the Ocean County line and heads north to Route 35 in Eatontown with a four block concurrency with Route 35 in Belmar. Monmouth University is located off Route 71 in West Long Branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NJ Transit</span> Public transportation system

New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. It operates bus, light rail, and commuter rail services throughout the state, connecting to major commercial and employment centers both within the state and in its two adjacent major cities, New York City and Philadelphia. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 209,259,800.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NJ Transit Rail Operations</span> Commuter rail division of NJ Transit

NJ Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of NJ Transit. It operates commuter rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered on transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark. NJ Transit also operates rail service in Orange and Rockland counties in New York under contract to Metro-North Railroad. The commuter rail lines saw 57,179,000 riders in 2023, making it the third-busiest commuter railroad in North America and the longest commuter rail system in North America by route length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Jersey Coast Line</span> Commuter rail line in New Jersey

The North Jersey Coast Line is a commuter rail line running from Rahway to Bay Head, New Jersey, traversing through the Jersey Shore region. Operated by New Jersey Transit, the line is electrified as far south as Long Branch. On rail system maps it is colored light blue, and its symbol is a sailboat. The line runs along the former New York & Long Branch Railroad, which was co-owned by the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Pennsylvania Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moveable bridge</span> Bridge that moves to allow passage, usually of watercraft

A moveable bridge, or movable bridge, is a bridge that moves to allow passage for boats or barges. In American English, the term is synonymous with drawbridge, and the latter is the common term, but drawbridge can be limited to the narrower, historical definition used in some other forms of English, in which drawbridge refers to only a specific type of moveable bridge often found in castles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge</span> Railroad bridge connecting Elizabethport and Bayonne

The Newark Bay Bridge of the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) was a railroad bridge in New Jersey that connected Elizabethport and Bayonne at the southern end of Newark Bay. Its third and final incarnation was a four-track vertical-lift design that opened in 1926, replacing a bascule bridge from 1904 which superseded the original swing bridge from 1887. The bridge served the main line of the CNJ, carrying daily interstate trains as well as commuter trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raritan Bay Drawbridge</span> Bridge in Middlesex County, New Jersey

The Raritan Bay Drawbridge, also known as River-Draw, Raritan Bay Swing Bridge, and Raritan River Railroad Bridge, is a railroad swing bridge crossing the Raritan River 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from where it empties into the Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It connects Perth Amboy to the north and South Amboy to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glimmer Glass Bridge</span> Bridge in New Jersey and Brielle, New Jersey

The Glimmer Glass Bridge is a county owned bridge in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It carries traffic from Brielle Road over the Glimmer Glass, a navigable tidal inlet of the Manasquan River, between Manasquan and Brielle. It has also been on the National Register of Historic Places, since 2008. Due to its age, Commercial vehicles cannot be driven over it. It also allows Bicycles and pedestrians to walk on the wooden sidewalk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shark River Inlet</span>

The Shark River Inlet is an inlet that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Shark River, located entirely in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The Shark River Inlet acts as a border between the towns of Belmar and Avon-by-the-Sea at the Atlantic Ocean. The Shark River Inlet is the only river inlet exclusively in Monmouth County that drains directly into the Atlantic Ocean; the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers drain into Sandy Hook Bay, and the Manasquan River is shared with Ocean County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Jefferson Avenue–Rouge River Bridge</span> United States historic place

The West Jefferson Avenue–Rouge River Bridge is a historic double-leaf bascule bridge in Wayne County, Michigan, at the border of the cities of Detroit and River Rouge. The bridge carries Jefferson Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Southwest Detroit, over the River Rouge, an important inland route for lake freighters. The bridge was built in 1922, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newark Drawbridge</span> Railroad bridge on the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison, New Jersey, U.S.

The Newark Drawbridge, also known as the Morristown Line Bridge, is a railroad bridge on the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison, New Jersey. The swing bridge is the 11th bridge from the river's mouth at Newark Bay and is 5.85 miles (9.41 km) upstream from it. Opened in 1903, it is owned and operated by New Jersey Transit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyndhurst Draw</span> Bridge in Clifton and Lyndhurst, New Jersey

The Lyndhurst Draw is a railroad bridge crossing the Passaic River between Clifton and Lyndhurst in northeastern New Jersey. Built in 1903, it is owned and operated by New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winant Avenue Bridge</span> Bridge in Little Ferry and Ridgefield Park

The Winant Avenue Bridge is a vehicular movable bridge spanning the Hackensack River in Bergen County, New Jersey 14 miles (23 km) from its mouth at Newark Bay. Built in 1934, it is also known as the Route 46 Hackensack River Bridge and S46 Bridge, it carries U.S. Route 46 (US 46) in Little Ferry and Ridgefield Park. Owned and operated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the double leaf bascule bridge is located on a navigable reach. While there have been no requests since 1978, the Code of Federal Regulations last amended in 1999 requires 24-hour notice to be opened. The bridge has been minimally altered since its construction and is eligible for individual listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Morgan Draw is railroad moveable bridge over the Cheesequake Creek between the Morgan section of Sayreville and Laurence Harbor in Old Bridge in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. Located at MP 0.2 near the mouth on the Raritan Bay, the bascule bridge lies just upstream of the New Jersey Route 35 crossing. It is owned and operated by New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJT) and substantially rehabilitated in 2005-2008. A storm surge during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 caused severe damage to the bridge.

Brielle Draw is a railroad bascule bridge over Manasquan River in Brielle and Point Pleasant Beach, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States west of the Manasquan Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean. It carries a single track of the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations (NJT) North Jersey Coast Line between Manasquan and Point Pleasant Beach stations. It had once been part of Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ), New York & Long Branch Railroad (NYLB) and Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) operations. The line is also served by the River Draw over the Raritan River, the Morgan Draw over Cheesequake Creek, the Oceanport Draw over Oceanport Creek and the Shark River Draw.

References

  1. "Shark River Railroad Bridge is a Bascule bridge located at N 40° 11.088', W 074° 01.539' - Waterway Guide Bridge Listing" . Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  2. "NJT - Shark River Draw" . Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  3. "New York and Longbranch Railroad Bascule Bridge, Belmar, New Jersey, United States" . Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  4. NJ Transit. "Shark Drawbridge Upgrades". Archived 2016-11-07 at the Wayback Machine .
  5. "Big Shark River Drawbridge Structural Steel Repairs - AmerCom Corp. - New Jersey Consulting Engineers". Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  6. "Shark River -" . Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  7. "Shark River (South Channel)" . Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  8. NJ.com, Jeff Goldman | NJ Advance Media for (2021-09-22). "Route 71 bridge between Jersey Shore towns closed for emergency repairs". nj. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  9. Serrano, Ken. "Why is the Route 71 drawbridge linking Avon and Belmar closed?". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  10. State of NJ Dept of Transportation (March 6, 2024). "Traffic Advisory" (PDF). Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  11. "Faulty Route 71 drawbridge to undergo emergency repairs; detours planned". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  12. USCG-2001-10881, 71 FR 70308, Dec. 4, 2006