Monmouth County eyes high‑span Oceanic Bridge and commits $8–10M annually for road improvements
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Summary
Commissioner Director Tom Arnone said the proposed Oceanic Bridge is planned as a high‑span project likely near $200 million with funding from the NJTPA, and the county budgets roughly $8–10 million a year for roadway improvements.
In the State of the County address, Commissioner Director Tom Arnone described the Oceanic Bridge as a signature transportation project for Monmouth County and said the county is in design planning and pursuing outside funding.
"We know it's a high span bridge. It has to be a high span bridge because that's the only way we'll get the funding, and it's gonna be probably close to a $200,000,000 project, fully secured funding from the NJTPA," Arnone said, noting months of community and municipal engagement around the plan.
Arnone also recapped recent bridge work the county has secured without taxpayer dollars, referencing a major project (transcribed as the Rumson–Sea Bright project) and said the county typically allocates about $8–10 million annually for roadway improvements to avoid deferring maintenance across successive administrations.
The director said the county will continue design work and pursue state and federal grants to advance the Oceanic Bridge and other critical road and bridge projects, and that prioritization aims to balance municipal needs and long‑term fiscal responsibility.
Next steps described in the address include continued design and funding coordination with the NJTPA and state partners; Arnone said the county will circulate road‑improvement lists to avoid "kicking the can down the road" between board terms.