For Immediate Release:
July 31, 2025

County Commissioners celebrate ribbon cutting for opening of Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge

RUMSON, NJ – Monmouth County, in cooperation with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), celebrated the opening of the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge (S-32) with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 31.

“Just a few years ago, we were gathered here breaking ground on this ambitious project. At that time, I said how proud I was to be able to put a shovel in the ground to get this important work underway,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the Division of Engineering. “Today, I’m even prouder to stand here as we prepare to cut the ribbon on a modern, safer, and more resilient movable bridge that will serve our residents, businesses, visitors, and emergency responders for generations to come.”

Local officials, including Rumson Mayor Joseph K. Hemphill and Sea Bright Mayor Brian Kelly, joined the celebration

“To our Monmouth County Commissioners, your support and vision for this new bridge has led this project from concept to completion,” said Mayor Hemphill. “Your belief in the importance of this link, for all Monmouth County residents, including those from the communities of both Rumson and Sea Bright, has not gone unnoticed and will be appreciated by countless Monmouth County residents for many years to come.”

"The Borough Council and I are proud to play a role in the Rumson–Sea Bright Bridge project. We greatly value the strong collaboration among Rumson, Sea Bright, Monmouth County, the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration,” said Mayor Kelly. “This bridge stands as a testament to what can be achieved when multiple public agencies come together to deliver vital infrastructure that enhances safety, promotes sustainability and serves our communities for generations to come."

Stakeholders such as NJTPA spoke about the importance of its partnership with Monmouth County.

“The Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge is a great example of how we help our partners put federal dollars to work at the local level. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Monmouth County to advance needed infrastructure projects,” said Sascha Frimpong, Director, Local Project Development for the NJTPA.

Monmouth County received more than $138 million in federal grants in order to complete the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge.

“I am also very happy to report to you that the County received federal funding to cover the construction ($111.5 million), construction inspection and administration ($9.5 million), and construction support services ($6.8 million), as well as the previous design, engineering, ROW and permitting costs ($10.9 million) for a total of more than $138 million in federal grants,” said Commissioner Director Arnone. “This is the largest single federal grant Monmouth County has ever received for transportation infrastructure, and it is being put to excellent use on a critical bridge at a huge savings to the Monmouth County taxpayers.”

To view the entire ribbon cutting ceremony livestream, visit the County’s YouTube and Facebook.

For news and alerts from Monmouth County, go to visitmonmouth.com or follow @MonmouthGovNJ on Facebook X and Instagram.

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