Route 71 bridge stuck after nor'easter keeps Belmar charter boats docked
The New Jersey Department of Transportation says storm surge from this weekend's nor'easter flooded the mechanical and electric room with salt water, leaving it in the down position.
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Charter boats docked at Belmar Marina are still unable to get to the ocean, first from the waves and storm, and now, a broken bridge.
John Eckel wanted to take his visiting brother from North Carolina on a fishing excursion – but couldn't because the Route 71 bridge was stuck in the down position.
"I came down to book a fishing trip. I don't know what we're going to do. I don't know if the bridge will be working this weekend or not. We're in limbo," said Eckel.
Eckel got the bad news from the frustrated boat captains and owners who have been stuck in port for 10 days.
"We never see that many days in a row where we get stuck at the dock because of weather and now with the bridge being broken it's just like you said salt on a wound," said Bobby Quinn, the owner of three boats docked at the Belmar Marina.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation says storm surge from this weekend's nor'easter flooded the mechanical and electric room with salt water, leaving it in the down position. Only boats that can fit under the 8-foot high-tide clearance can make it through.
"It's almost like a pond. It would be a perfect day we would be sold out multiple trips for today," said Bill McKim, owner of whale watching boat, "Jersey Girl."
The aging bridge angered lots of business owners on both sides of the river a year ago when it was stuck in the up position last October through March as temporary repairs were made. The entire bridge is slated for a costly $150+ million replacement in 2028.
"It's such a beautiful thing to be able to come down here 10 minutes from my house and do a little surf fishing or get on a boat and unfortunately, it's complicated now. I wish them well," said Eckel.
According to NJDOT, once the mechanical room has fully dried out, it will begin testing the bridge to make sure it's fully functional. It hopes to have it back open to marine traffic by the end of the week.
