County Announces Construction Of New Grawtown Road Bridge

Ocean County Administration Building (Photo by Chris Lundy)

JACKSON – Motorists take note, Ocean County is getting to work this summer to replace the aging Grawtown Road Bridge in Jackson Township.

The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders plans to award a $1.6 million contract to Marbo, Inc. for construction on the new bridge.

The Grawtown Road Bridge is a 30-foot wide, wood structure dating back to 1936, allowing for travel over the Dove Mill Branch of the Toms River.

According to county officials, the new bridge will be 12-feet long and 36-feet wide built on steel-pipe piles with concrete footings. The bridge will include two 12-foot travel lanes, two 6-foot shoulders, and a precast concrete culvert and concrete wing walls.

The project also includes the installation of state Department of Environmental Protection mandated terrestrial animal crossings on each side of the main culvert.

 “This work is part of our continuing effort of improving our county road system, which is the largest in the state,” said Freeholder Director Virginia E. Haines, co-liaison to the Ocean County Engineering Department.

“We are constantly monitoring our roads and bridges to ensure that we have the safest possible road network here in Ocean County,” said Freeholder Deputy Director John P. Kelly, who is also Director of Law and Public Safety.

Work is expected to take approximately six months, during which a detour will be set up around the bridge.