DOT Shuts Route 71 Bridge Again

Wall residents traveling through Belmar for the next three nights may need to plan an alternate route as the state Department of Transportation will close the Route 71 bridge spanning the Shark River beginning Tuesday.

The bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

This closure comes after the span was closed for nearly eight months earlier this year.

The bridge closed in October as the DOT began a multi-million dollar rehabilitation of the crossing's mechanical and electrical systems.

Aside from a one day opening for the Belmar-Lake Como St. Patrick's Day Parade, the span remained closed until May.

While DOT officials had originally suggested the bridge would not be fully operational until July, prodding from local elected officials and legislators allowed the project to be completed in time for Memorial Day weekend.