Manahawkin Bay Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Dorland J. Henderson Memorial Bridge, familiarly known as the Manahawkin Bay Bridge or (while technically inaccurate) The Causeway, is a steel girder bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

 that spans Manahawkin Bay
Manahawkin Bay
Manahawkin Bay is a bay in the U.S. state of New Jersey in Ocean County, located between Long Beach Island and Manahawkin, on the mainland. It is a part of the Intracoastal Waterway.-Sources:*...

, carrying traffic along Route 72 between Long Beach Island (LBI)
Long Beach Island
Long Beach Island is a barrier island and summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States...

 and Manahawkin
Manahawkin, New Jersey
Manahawkin is a census-designated place and unincorporated area contained within Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Manahawkin translates to 'land of good corn' although this has been disputed by recent scholars claiming that it translate to “fertile land sloping into...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. The bridge starts at Manahawkin and ends at Ship Bottom
Ship Bottom, New Jersey
Ship Bottom is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,156. The borough is located on Long Beach Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean....

 on Long Beach Island. The bridge spans five land masses: the mainland, Long Beach Island, and three intermediate land masses, of which two are small and one is rather large. It was listed as being structurally deficient in 2004, and a replacement is planned, which may possibly be completed by 2017. This is hoped to be the time by residents that the bridge will be replaced, since the current one is in a badly decaying state, is thought to be unrepairable, and could collapse, if not replaced on time.

The bridge provides spectacular views of Barnegat Bay, Little Egg Harbor Bay and the Atlantic City skyline, less than 25 miles away.

Structural problems

Documented crack
Fracture
A fracture is the separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress.The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures , or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal...

s due to metal fatigue
Fatigue (material)
'In materials science, fatigue is the progressive and localized structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic loading. The nominal maximum stress values are less than the ultimate tensile stress limit, and may be below the yield stress limit of the material.Fatigue occurs...

 have been found in structural members of the bridge. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...

 had previously taken steps to arrest the fatigue cracking, including modifying bridge girder
Girder
A girder is a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms. Girder is the term used to denote the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams...

s and beam
Beam (structure)
A beam is a horizontal structural element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting bending. The bending force induced into the material of the beam as a result of the external loads, own weight, span and external reactions to these loads is called a bending moment.- Overview...

s with drill stops. On April 17, 2007, Material Technologies, Inc. was retained by NJDOT to seek out fatigued members and prioritize their repair or replacement using its Electrochemical Fatigue Sensor system.

External links

  • Historical survey of Stafford Township
    Manahawkin, New Jersey
    Manahawkin is a census-designated place and unincorporated area contained within Stafford Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. Manahawkin translates to 'land of good corn' although this has been disputed by recent scholars claiming that it translate to “fertile land sloping into...

    , New Jersey
    New Jersey
    New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

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