Owners worry closure of Route 71 bridge will mean the end of their businesses

It’s a familiar sight along the Shark River between Belmar and Avon as the Route 71 bridge is back up for the next four months as temporary repairs get started.

Local shop owners are not only bracing for this closure, but also a long-term three-year replacement scheduled to begin in 2028.

“We need the exposure that people know we’re still here, we’re still open and still making great sandwiches,” said Brennen Carroll, owner of Bing’s Beach House Deli in Avon-by-the-Sea.

Bing’s Beach House Deli has been through multiple rounds of closures before. This time, the owners say, it feels different.

“Definitely feel like we’ve been heard a little bit more this time around. They put together a meeting in Belmar to help out the small businesses,” said Carroll.

A meeting between shop owners and the state offered programs, not payments, for the inconvenience.

“JCP&L had a program where we do need a new HVAC system and they had something in line and there were definitely a couple key points that we took away from it,” said Carroll.

Several shop owners told News 12 they are more concerned about the long-term impacts of this closure, particularly the three years it’s estimated to take for a complete replacement.

Claire Morrison, owner of The Macaroon Shop in Avon, says the closure of the bridge signifies “the end of the business.”

Morrison says her flashy new mural is seen by no one because of this latest closure, and a three-year shutdown would be a devastating blow to her macaroon bakery.

“What’s going to happen with three years of closure is all the businesses are going to go down, there’s no way around that, and then the developers will come in and buy up the storefronts,” she said.

On the Belmar side, Joe Coliskey’s Paintin Place relies on bridge traffic to window shop during those boat openings. But he says that with detours in place, that’s not happening.

“To survive it, it’s going to be tough. If they can move it along quicker, I hope they can, but it’s construction. There’s a lot of things you have to worry about,” said Coliskey.

“We're begging the DOT to make us a high priority. No matter who comes in with the next administration, we are begging to keep our way of life here, to keep our shops open,” added Morrison.

Long-term plans from the New Jersey DOT call for the Route 71 bridge to be replaced between 2028 and 2031.