"It is the right time because the park was out of commission for a while, we built the bridge, and now it's been turned back over to us." That is how borough engineer David Marks explained to the Two River Times why Rumson is finally rebuilding West Park and Jumping Point Park, the green space on either side of the Rumson Road approach to the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge.
His sentence also covers the other end of River Road. Rumson's riverfront parks sit where its bridges land, so they follow the bridge's schedule. On the east end, the bridge is finished and the park is about to come back. On the west end, at the Oceanic Bridge and Victory Park, the county is still drawing how a new bridge path will reach the park. Public comments on that close Friday, Oct. 30.
The East End Has Finished Its Bridge
The Two River Times reported in September that the new Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge opened last summer. It replaced a 76-year-old span that has since been torn down. West Park on the north side and Jumping Point Park on the south side add up to about 5.72 acres of open space, split almost evenly at 2.85 and 2.87 acres. The county did its own work in and around the parks while the bridge was being built. Marks described what comes next as "filling in some of the gaps where the county left us."
The borough council awarded the contract at a special meeting on Aug. 25. It held that meeting instead of waiting for the regular September session, which gave the project a three-week head start. The numbers came in well under expectations:
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Engineer's estimate, Suburban Consulting Engineers | About $670,000 |
| Winning bid, Precise Construction | About $497,000 |
| Margin under estimate | Nearly $175,000 |
| Monmouth County grant received | $361,817 |
| Grant originally requested | $500,000 maximum match, for what was then an approximately $900,000 project |
The borough's project page lists the work. It says the final scope stays close to what was presented at a July 1, 2025 public hearing, with changes based on community feedback:
- New curbing and sidewalk along Ward Avenue
- A new asphalt walkway through the north side of the park
- A seating wall and walkway along the bulkhead
- New play equipment to replace the existing playground
- New landscaping and tree plantings
- New benches, picnic tables, bike racks, and a water fountain with a bottle-fill station
- Refurbished bulkhead railing and cleat benches
The playground on the south side of the bridge is the biggest single change. Marks said the current equipment is 25 to 30 years old. He described the replacement as a "similar style," "just upgraded," and called the site a "local, neighborhood, community park." The Huddy Leap Monument is also being restored. It marks the spot where Capt. Joshua Huddy, a Revolutionary War officer and privateer, is said to have jumped into the Navesink River to escape capture by Loyalists.
The bridge contract has some loose ends of its own. According to the borough, the park work is separate from what remains on the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge contract. That includes fencing, handrails, bulkhead railings, and other punch-list items owed by R.E. Pierson, which the borough is still coordinating with Monmouth County Engineering.
What Late Fall Looks Like at Jumping Point
The borough's Oct. 5 capital-projects update said construction was "anticipated to begin this Fall." It also said active work areas will be temporarily closed to the public. If you walk the dog at West Park or take a child to the Jumping Point playground, expect some sections to be fenced off at different points through the season.
Marks's timeline in September was weather-driven. He said the playground equipment was expected to arrive in mid-to-late October. His plan was to "get the demolition done, get the playground installed, start getting irrigation installed, plantings, depending on the weather" this fall. Some of that work could slip to spring. His worst case was a finished park by the start of next summer.
The contractor has worked in Rumson before. Marks said the borough has used Precise Construction at Meadow Ridge Park, Piping Rock, and Victory Park. The Victory Park playground reopened by early July with accessible nautical- and pirate-themed equipment, swings, and climbing and fitness pieces. Through the winter, it is the borough's newest finished riverfront playground. It also sits at the end of town where the next bridge project is being planned.
The West End Is at the Start of the Same Cycle
The Oceanic Bridge carries Bingham Avenue across the Navesink River to Locust Point Road in Middletown. At a public information meeting on Sept. 29, Monmouth County and its project team showed the current plan. The replacement would be a 65-foot fixed bridge with a 14-foot shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists, along with possible connections between the bridge and Victory Park.
The path changed from earlier drafts. According to the county's FAQ, the earlier concept had two separate 6-foot sidewalks. The new one has a single 14-foot path on the west side of the bridge, separated from traffic by a crashworthy barrier. All walkers and cyclists will use that one side, so where the path comes down in Rumson matters more than it would with two sidewalks.
The schedule is long. Preliminary engineering is expected to run through fall 2027, and final design is expected to start in 2028. The county says construction is at least four years away. Building the new bridge is expected to take at least three years, and the existing Oceanic Bridge would stay open during that time. Jumping Point got its park plan after the bridge was built. Victory Park's connection is being settled years before construction, while the drawings can still change.
Three Ways the Path Could Reach Victory Park
As Patch reported Oct. 1, the county presented three options for bringing the path from Bingham Avenue to Victory Park:
- Option A runs the full 14-foot path from Bingham Avenue to River Road and on to Victory Park. Five parking spaces would be removed, some spaces would become angled, and the driveway would become one-way.
- Option B runs a narrower path, 10 feet wide on the county's boards, from Bingham Avenue to Hunt Street, which connects to Victory Park. It has less effect on the existing parking lot.
- Option C runs a riverfront path to Washington Street. It needs ramps because the bridge path is about 17 feet up at that point.
The county says each option has a cost. Depending on the choice, it touches restaurant parking, private property, or the river. Some combinations would let pedestrians pass under the bridge at Bingham Avenue without crossing traffic, and some would add stairs.
The Bingham Avenue corner is changing in other ways too. Harvest Restaurant Group is turning the former Salt Creek Grille at 4 Bingham Avenue into Roots Steakhouse. The Asbury Park Press reported in February that it would be the brand's fifth New Jersey location. The Roots Rumson page still says "Coming Soon" and gives no opening date.
Where to Weigh In Before Oct. 30
Comments on the Sept. 29 materials are open through Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. The slides, boards, meeting recording, FAQ, and maps are posted on the Monmouth County Oceanic Bridge project site, with drawings on its documents and maps page. According to Patch's Oct. 13 report, there are three ways to comment:
- Email [email protected]
- Use the form on the project website
- Mail a letter to Michael Ruggiero, P.E., Principal Bridge Engineer and County Project Manager, Monmouth County Division of Engineering, Hall of Records Annex, 1 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Freehold, NJ 07728
The borough says a formal meeting report will be posted after the comment period closes. On the east end, residents had their say at the July 1, 2025 hearing and the final West Park plan "closely reflects" what was shown there. Comments filed by Oct. 30 are the Victory Park end's version of that hearing.
How a bridge meets the riverbank affects how a property feels to live in, from its parking and sight lines to how you walk to the water. If you'd like to talk through how the Oceanic Bridge plans or the West Park work affect a property you own or are considering on the Rumson side of the river, BG Realty Services is glad to help. Let's Connect.
