How Does the Route 72 Bridge Stack Up Against Others in Ocean County?

Ocean County’s aging bridges are in need of repair, but the cost to do the work would exceed $326 million, a new report released Monday showed. 

Of the county’s 290 bridges, about 6 percent have been rated structurally deficient, according to a report from NJ Spotlight.  

Additionally, 13 percent of the bridges in the county – which include those owned by municipalities, the county itself as well as the state – are considered to be functionally obsolete and not in line with current lane and shoulder standards, or occasionally flood, according to National Bridge Inventory data. The average age of an Ocean County bridge is 43 years old.

According to data in the report, the bridge on Route 72 that intersects Manahawkin Bay is "structurally deficient," with a sufficiency rating of 32%.  State officials recently announced a project that would rehabilitate the bridge.

The report also said both bridges over the Point Pleasant Canal were functionally obsolete, as well as the Broadway bridge which spans Cooks Creek in Point Pleasant Beach.

About one in four bridges in the state are either in poor condition or unable to handle current traffic loads, the data showed.

Each bridge was rated based on structure, substructure and its deck to determine the type of work needed to fully restore the bridge. Some of the more highly trafficked bridges are under the ownership of the state and recommended work.

NJ Spotlight is an issue-driven news website that provides critical insight to New Jersey’s communities and businesses. It is non-partisan, independent, policy-centered and community-minded.