Will summer bring traffic jams at an inoperable bridge?

The Bayville Bridge was stuck again. People were coming home from work on the evening of May 17 when they saw what some say has become all too familiar in Bayville: a bridge that will not come down, and police redirecting traffic on West Shore Road away from it.
The bridge opened the next day, but was inoperable three days later for the same reason. That closure only lasted for an hour, but twice in one week? People are upset.

“This is a public safety issue,” said Tim Charon, a village trustee. “If we have a flood and the Stands are flooded, there’s no way to get out but the bridge.”
Charon was referring to an area on Bayville Avenue where there are stores, a few restaurants and an amusement park across the street from Stehli Beach.

County Legislator Donald MacKenzie said he doesn’t believe both areas would become impassable simultaneously. “The only reason the bridge would be up would be because the boats are out, which they wouldn’t be during a hurricane [when the stands area could be flooded],” he said. “I think that scenario is unrealistic.”
Many believe that the current problems at the bridge are the lingering result of Superstorm Sandy. Repairs were made after the storm to the traffic controls and bridge mechanisms, which were inoperable. Additionally, the motor control center generator was replaced, as were sump pumps, piping, safety gate arms, rotary cam switches, flashes, lighting fixtures and an air horn.

Problems at the bridge in 2016
Last summer, motorists were trapped in traffic snarls for hours on a few occasions because the bridge was stuck and wouldn’t come down. One time they waited for four hours on a Saturday, and one motorist was rear-ended. Another time, it happened during one of the free Friday night beach concerts. Motorists rolled down their car windows to listen to the music.
“People are upset in Bayville, and think we’re neglected by the county when it comes to infrastructure projects,” Deputy Mayor Joe Russo said last summer.
Last year’s problem was a bad motor. It was rebuilt and put back in. Eventually, a new motor replaced the old one. There were electrical issues as well, which were repaired.

Issues are different this time around
Mayor Paul Rupp said that the current problems at the bridge are due to the braking system. There are four different brakes, and one is not operating correctly. “The brakes come down on steel plates,” which rust over time, he explained in a Facebook post. “There is only a quarter of an inch in flexibility and tolerance. If the one brake doesn’t align properly, we have a problem.”
The steel plates need to be replaced, Rupp said.
MacKenzie said that a request was made last year for an expert to make recommendations about exactly what needs to be repaired on the bridge structurally, mechanically and electrically. Contractor Lockwood, Kessler, & Bartlett was chosen. “They will make recommendations and design upgrades,” MacKenzie said. “It will be a federally funded project.”
But the contract has not been awarded yet by the county. MacKenzie has reached out to the commissioner of the Department of Public Works, Shila Shah-Gavnoudias, to see if it is on the Legislature’s agenda, but hadn’t heard back yet.

War of words between trustee and legislator
Charon placed the blame for the bridge problems and problems in general in Bayville in large part on MacKenzie. “I don’t’ think MacKenzie is proactive for Bayville,” he said.
MacKenzie refuted the accusation, citing the fulfillment of several requests the village made last summer. He said he made sure that the screens were completed on the generator near the Bayville Bridge, that pavers were installed by the Stands, that the timing of traffic lights on Bayville Avenue was adjusted and that Phase 3 of the West Shore Road project was completed.
Charon said that getting anything accomplished takes an unreasonably long time, recalling, as an example, that it took a year and a half to get the screens for the generator.
His frustrations are apparent in emails that he exchanged with MacKenzie last July 25. They focused on a lack of communication. Charon accused MacKenzie of not responding to issues brought to his attention by the village government, or not following up if he does respond. He said that MacKenzie is impossible to get in touch with by phone in his office or by cell.
Responding to Charon’s email, MacKenzie said he didn’t believe the trustee was being accurate or fair. MacKenzie is an attorney, and said he could not be instantly available. He suggested that meetings be planned in advance.
Charon stated several times that he did not care about politics but believed that MacKenzie does, which is why work by county government is put on the backburner for Bayville. MacKenzie denied that this is the case, citing procedural hurdles that need to be cleared before any work can begin.
The conflict between the two might be considered business as usual between elected leaders if the possibility of another summer with problems with the Bayville Bridge was not looming.
“The bridge hasn’t had a mechanic in five years,” said Rupp. “Deferred maintenance by the county doesn’t help the issue. It doesn’t make any sense. Spend the money and fix it right.”