Cape May/Atlantic Fishermen..Why should YOUR County be the Red-Headed Stepchild???

[DarkSkies]

I would guess by now that more folks have heard about the loss of fishing access at Drag Island due to the demolition of the Rt 9 flat brige, which currently allows access, and the construction of the new Parkway bridges over Great Egg Harbor Bay....

[DarkSkies]

As mentioned in a recent article, the Rt 9 bridge which offers access to Drag Island is slated for complete demolition, which will cut off all fishermen foot access to Drag Island and the great fishing afforded to land based fishermen from being allowed to reach Drag Channel and some of the deeper water sedge areas in that area.

For those who don't know.....
1. That Drag Island Access area was not highly publicized, but it did indeed allow access to some trophy fishing for striped bass, bluefish, fluke, and weakfish throughout the year.

2. The Island, by virtue of its location, sits at the easternmost convergence of 3 major rivers and creeks that empty into the Great Egg Harbor Bay.

3. The Island also offers premium access to trophy striped bass and weakfish that come into the bay to spawn. Over the decades, the area back there, with its unique gravel bottom in some places, has been observed to be a striper and weakfish spawning ground.

4. The Turnpike Authority/DOT is legally bound to replace access with equal access, if a previously used access area is taken away.

5. NJDEP, as a steward of our state environment and an organization of the fishing access laws guaranteed for all public citizens in the Public Trust Doctrine, has some legal oversight to see that public access is not taken away or diminished, as well.

6. The Turnpike Authority has proposed a fishing access platform to be constructed as part of the new southbound bridge, that will suffice as the fishing access that will be taken away.......this is not equal access.

7. The DIAPA (Drag Island Access Preservation Association) was formed to raise awareness of this and inform folks out there of their constitutional and legal rights against access being taken away. One goal, after getting folks to sign the petition, is to get folks involved with possible meetings to protest this unequal trade of current access, for no access.

[DarkSkies]

This was first brought to our attention by Bucktail Willie......



What puzzles me, is why more Cape May and Atantic county residents have not gotten involved in saving Drag Island Access so far?


Here are some reasons I think that would give Cape May and Atlantic county residents some cause for concern:

1. The new bridge and causeway development on Rt 72 leading to LBI.

This causeway development will be spending 350 million dollars to upgrade not only the roadway for more streamlined visitor access, redundant emergency access, but also upgrading numerous fishing platforms, parking areas, and upgraded bulkheads and improved public access to the water, for all the folks who want to come down to that area to fish.





All for the residents in Ocean County, the residents of LBI
...and the fishermen and vacationers that spend money down there......


**(see article below).

[DarkSkies]

Causeway development Article.....


Office of the Governor

Acting Governor Kim Guadagno announces
$350 million in major improvement work to begin
on Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Causeway

Twin-bridge design is consistent with guiding
principles of rebuilding in wake of Superstorm Sandy

(Trenton) – Continuing the Christie Administration's commitment to rebuilding in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, Acting Governor Kim Guadagno and Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner James Simpson today announced that the construction phase of the $350 million Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Causeway project will soon begin to repair damage and create a safer and stronger route for residents and visitors. The 53-year-old causeway that links the mainland to Long Beach Island in Ocean County sustained relatively minor damage during the storm, remaining open at all times. Acting Governor Guadagno noted that the project design is consistent with the Administration's goal to rebuild storm-damaged infrastructure in a manner that helps it to better withstand the forces of violent storms.

“The Manahawkin Bay Causeway project exemplifies what we are aiming for when it comes to rebuilding in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – moving quickly to restore what was lost and to do so in a manner that will be stronger, more lasting, and better serve our residents,” said Acting Governor Guadagno. “Our objective throughout the state is to not merely replace what was damaged, but to build it better and stronger. That can mean a different design, construction method or some other element that builds in resiliency, protects our investments and preserves mobility and public safety.”
The first of four major construction contracts will be advertised for bids tomorrow, with construction starting this spring. Completion is scheduled for 2020.

The centerpiece of the project involves the construction of a new bridge parallel to the existing one over Manahawkin Bay, providing the safety of a redundant route on or off the island in the event that one of the spans needs to be closed.

The existing bay bridge, which is the most prominent feature along the causeway, is structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. It will be closed to traffic and rehabilitated once the new bridge is built and opened to traffic. This sequence will preserve the current two travel lanes in each direction during busy summer seasons.

The increased safety of a redundant structure is one of many improvements that have been designed into the project.
Complete Streets elements, including wide shoulders and a barrier-protected sidewalk along the twin spans, will provide safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists from Stafford to Ship Bottom. Currently there is no safe access for pedestrians or bicyclists on the main bridge and other portions of the causeway.
“Long Beach Island is an iconic Jersey Shore vacation destination that brings enjoyment to hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors every summer,” said NJDOT Commissioner Jim Simpson. “Our investment in this project will strengthen the causeway's critical role as the only Coastal Evacuation Route for Long Beach Island. It will enhance safe and convenient access not just for motorists, but for all users of the roadway.”

Commissioner Simpson noted that
1. Other amenities will provide recreational opportunities along the causeway, which touches down on four small islands – Mallard Island, an unnamed man-made island, Bonnet Island and Cedar Bonnet Island – between Stafford and Ship Bottom.

2. Six parking lots will be built along the causeway, providing access for walking, fishing or crabbing.

3. The project also calls for improvements to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on Bonnet Island.

4. Three Dynamic Message Signs will be installed to provide motorists with traffic and other information near the Garden State Parkway and Route 9 in Stafford and in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island.



Project details
The project will make improvements along a 3-mile stretch of Route 72 from a point west of Marsh Drive in Stafford to Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom. Work will be carried out through four construction contracts.

The twin Manahawkin Bay bridges will offer motorists two 12-foot-wide travel lanes in each direction, as well as 12-foot-wide inside shoulders and 13-foot-wide outside shoulders that will provide safe travel lanes for bicyclists. A six-foot-wide sidewalk will be built alongside the outside shoulder of the bridge that will carry westbound traffic.

Rehabilitation of the three trestle bridges will result in two 11-foot-wide travel lanes in each direction, as well as 1-foot-wide inside shoulders and 6-foot-wide outside shoulders to accommodate bicyclists. The westbound lanes will also offer a six-foot-wide sidewalk.

**Currently there are no accommodations for pedestrians or bicyclists on these bridges.




A separate environmental mitigation contract will be carried out concurrent to the construction contracts and will improve public access to the water and will improve the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.


A. The first contract includes building a new high level structure parallel to the existing Manahawkin Bay Bridge, along with various associated improvements to the bridge approaches and surrounding area.
B. The second contract includes rehabilitating two of the three trestle bridges that are part of the causeway. They are located to the east of the Bay Bridge and span narrow sections of the bay known as East Thorofare and West Thorofare. Work on the trestle bridges will be minimized during the busy summer seasons to maintain traffic flow.
C. The third contract includes work to rehabilitate the existing Manahawkin Bay Bridge with the entire existing superstructure scheduled to be removed and replaced. This work is more extensive than previously planned. Originally only the bridge deck was to be replaced. This contract will also include rehabilitating the third trestle bridge located to the west of the Bay Bridge over Hilliard's Thorofare.
D. The fourth contract will address safety and operational issues at the Route 72/Marsha Drive Intersection in Stafford Township to improve traffic flow at the traffic signal, and along 8th Street and 9th Street (Route 72) in Ship Bottom to provide operational upgrades and drainage improvements.


Project information is available online at www.nj.gov/transportation (http://www.nj.gov/transportation).

[DarkSkies]

Another development, for Ocean County......

The upgrading of the roadway, in a problem area of the Garden State Parkway.....millions of dollars to upgrade the area from Exits 88-98,,,with amenities and features to include ALL user groups in this area.....
(article below)

[DarkSkies]

I. Parkway Exit 90 and vicinity upgrades....Article....

http://brick.patch.com/articles/parkway-improvement-project-begins-in-brickOcean county/Brick benefits from $75 Million in road projects
Parkway Improvement Project Begins in Brick

Trees near exit 90 cleared as $75 million project gets underway


By Daniel Nee (http://stripersandanglers.com/users/daniel-nee)
October 25, 2012 7 Comments (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/#comments_list)
http://o5.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/thumbnail/132x88/crop/88x88+22+0/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/f80301d867032325d7f50c45dc76922d (http://o5.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/PATCH/resize/600x450/http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/f80301d867032325d7f50c45dc76922d)Credit Daniel Nee (http://stripersandanglers.com/users/daniel-nee)


Motorists travelling northbound to Brick on the Garden State Parkway have seen a different landscape emerge at exit 90 over the past week.
State transportation officials said the clearing of trees and brush at the exit is part of a planned $75 million improvement project that will restore the shoulders, reconstruct bridges and make other safety improvements between mileposts 90.5 and 93.5 on the state toll road.

A contract was awarded in August for the work. Midlantic Construction LLC of Barnegat, the lowest of five bidders, will lead the project.
All lanes will be widened to 12 feet, and 12 foot shoulders will be constructed on both sides of the roadway along the entire construction area. The lanes and shoulders will conform with current standards to support traffic traveling in excess of 60 mph.
The improvements in Brick are part of a larger plan designed to improve safety on the stretch of the Parkway between mile markers 83.5 in Toms River and 99.5 in Monmouth County.

A 2007 highway safety assessment identified six high-priority areas on the Parkway; four of the areas are in the 16-mile project zone. Between 2000 and 2007, there were 9,000 accidents in the area, including 63 fatal accidents.
In response to the safety assessment, the speed limit was lowered from 65 to 55 mph, a series of interim safety measures was adopted and preliminary engineering on the shoulder-widening project was begun.
Complicating matters, officials have said accidents in the area are difficult and dangerous for state troopers and other emergency responders to access because of the lack of shoulders.

"There is no better use for our capital dollars than projects like this one that make our roads safer," Transportation Commissioner James Simpson, who serves as Chairman of the Turnpike Authority Board of Commissioners, said this summer when the contracts were approved.

“When the project is complete, a section of the Parkway with narrow shoulders, narrow travel lanes and a history of accidents will be built to modern design and safety standards. Police, fire and EMS vehicles will be better able to access accident scenes. There will be room on the shoulders to move disabled vehicles out of the way of traffic. Drivers who lose control of their vehicles and leave the roadway will have room in the clear zone to regain control without striking a tree or going down a steep embankment."
"Lives will be saved because of this project," he added.

The current phase of the project, transportation officials said, is expected to be completed in 2014.
Future plans call for a realignment of the exits and entrances (http://brick.patch.com/articles/sovereign-bank-to-be-demolished-in-brick-parkway-project) in Brick.






Others
II. NJTA borrows $1.4 Billion for road, bridge and highway projects
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/turnpike_authority_to_borrow_1.html




III Synopsis of Current Bidders and amounts on some NJTA projects.
http://www.utcanj.org/assets/images/lowbid.pdf

[DarkSkies]

My Questions to the Residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties......

1. You have been blessed with some upgrades....recently the Rt 52 Causeway linking Longport and Ocean City...beautiful upgrades, fishing piers, reinforced and upgraded bulkheads....free kayak and small craft launch, upgraded parking....

2. Is that all you deserve?

3. The upgrade to the RT 72 Causeway bridge is said to cost $350 million.....the amenities being provided to sportsmen and land based fishermen,, along with commuters and vacationers to LBI. are all state of the art.....no expense is being spared.....

4. The amenities being provided to Ocean County Residents, in the Exit 90 Parkway $75 million project, are also state of the art as well......

[DarkSkies]

There are many user groups that will be served with the RT 72 causeway upgrades.....


Summer Vacationers and Residents
Year Round residents
Business owners
Nature lovers who will have better access to see wildlife...
Bicyclers and joggers...
Hikers
Boaters who will have better access and deeper channels to navigate through
Boat fishermen who will have more fuel, bait choices, and dining choices as docks are upgraded.

And last but not least, land based fishermen who will now be able to park safely, fish the bridge areas, and not run the risk of being killed by a traffic accident.....

[DarkSkies]

My Main Questions to the Atlantic and Cape May County residents.....

!. If Ocean County residents are getting so much from the Turnpike Authority and the DOT, involving new construction and all the access that is being preserved......


Why are the Cape May and Atlantic County residents, getting short shrifted?
Why are these residents getting the short end of the stick?

Why is is fair for ocean county to get all those amenities, and nice things, and Cape May and Atlantic County residents, to get left out?

[DarkSkies]

Is it because Drag Island was not highly publicized as a prime fishing spot, where all the biggest fish in the bay, eventually pass by?

Is it because the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties feel they deserve less than other counties?
Is it because these residents are more apathetic than in other counties?



Please, folks...help me to understand.....
Help me to understand why residents of Cape May and Atlantic County would not be fighting for a better deal, when the bridge is constructed?
Why would you allow the Turnpike Authority and DOT to treat you with any less respect and consideration, that they have given to ocean county?





************
There are several examples of bridge projects where the new construction combined the needs of travelers, commuters, and outdoors people as the new one was built.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa Fla......
Example of a Florida Bridge that was demolished to make way for a new improved bridge,
Many fishermen amenities here,.....and no outrageous costs to taxpayers.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_rn=8&gs_ri=psy-ab&gs_mss=rt 275&cp=26&gs_id=27&xhr=t&q=rt+275+skyway+bridge+tampa&es_nrs=true&pf=p&rlz=1R2GGLR_enUS385&sclient=psy-ab&oq=rt+275+skyway+bridge+tampa&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44770516,d.dmQ&fp=de96e2d49dcfc700&biw=1280&bih=756


I. Deterioration of old bridge
II Planning the new bridge - Florida has consistently been Pro-Active when it comes to outdoors activities. Legislators there know that a good portion of the state's revenue comes from tourists and vacationers. The officials in New Jersey should be aware of this as well. Sometimes they need a reminder from the citizens

III. Amenities and Improvements -
1.Safer roads, can handle more traffic.
2, Fishing piers, fish cleaning station
3. Trash facilities and clean and safe bathroom facilities

IV How has it worked?
I have a friend who recently spent a month working in Fla. On his off hours he was able to fish the new piers constructed in the shadows of the bridge and had rave reviews.