Cranes and other equipment brought in for the demolition of the Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge will be idle until Monday, in deference to the dolphins.
By SUE MORGAN
Thanks to those hungry bottlenose dolphins in the Shrewsbury River, work on the Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge has come to a halt, at least till next week.
When some Sea Bright residents theorized that the noise from several barges docked near the 35-foot-high drawbridge over the Shrewsbury River might be hampering attempts by the dolphins to swim out to sea, Councilwoman Dina Long called the powers in Trenton.
On reaching a representative of Governor Jon Corzine‘s office Monday, Long asked that the state Department of Transportation temporarily cease work until July 7 to give the dolphins a shot at safe passage out to Sandy Hook Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
“We asked that the DOT, as a goodwill gesture, back off on any construction until after July 4th,” Long said.
The state agreed, she said, effectively extending the Independence Day holiday for contractors getting ready to demolish the bridge.
Construction equipment on the barges will now remain silent until Monday. By that time, Long and other residents hope the dolphins will find their way up river and past the barges to the bay and then the ocean.
The marine mammals have been observed swimming up as far as Gaiters Restaurant, located just south of the bridge. Since June 15, they’ve been shuttling between there and the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge.
NJDOT’s controversial demolition and subsequent replacement of the more-than 70-year old drawbridge is expected to go forward with the actual razing of the span to begin during the week of July 7. A 70-foot-high fixed bridge will go in its place to link Sea Bright and Highlands.
