Editing New Jersey Route 13 (section)

====Design and funding problems (1967&ndash;1968)====
However, despite the four to six week timeline, the Army Corps of Engineers did not sign off on the new Lovelandtown Bridge until January&nbsp;26, 1967. The new bridge would have a vertical clearance of {{convert|30|ft|m}} when closed and {{convert|65|ft|m}} when raised. The span would be {{convert|80|ft|m}} wide for boats and barges to clear. The newly-renamed [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]] (NJDOT) said design, planning and construction would take about 18&nbsp;months. Mayor Brown noted that he was happy and was willing to even bring his shovel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Army Approves Construction of New Lovelandtown Span |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46701263/lovelandtown-bridge-january-27-1967/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=January 27, 1967 |page=25|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

Survey work by the Army Corps of Engineers began in July&nbsp;1967, for the design of the new bridge over the waterway. NJDOT also hired a [[New York City|New York]] firm to do the survey work.<ref>{{cite news |title=Army Begins Pt. Pleasant Span Survey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46702457/lovelandtown-bridge-july-20-1967/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=July 20, 1967 |page=4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> Less than a month later, the mechanisms to help open the Lovelandtown Bridge to marine traffic broke on August&nbsp;16, resulting in a seven-hour closure of the bridge and several days of repairs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Repairs Completed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46702782/lovelandtown-bridge-august-22-1967/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=August 22, 1967 |page=21|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> The Army Corps completed their survey work in the canal in November&nbsp;1967.<ref>{{cite news |title=Army Completes Survey of Canal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46702984/lovelandtown-bridge-november-28-1967/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=November 28, 1967 |page=25|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

By December&nbsp;1967, NJDOT moved test borings to the Bureau of Navigation offices to make plans for the new Lovelandtown Bridge ones. The offices would end up being relocated as part of the construction of the new bridge, due to be finished in 1971.<ref>{{cite news |title=Test Borings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46702732/lovelandtown-bridge-december-18-1967/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=December 18, 1967 |page=4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> The Board of Adjustment chair for the borough of Point Pleasant noted that they should pressure the state to move their schedule up in response to the collapse of the [[Silver Bridge]] in [[Point Pleasant, West Virginia|Point Pleasant]], [[West Virginia]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bond Issue Sold By Pt. Pleasant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46703576/lovelandtown-bridge-december-20-1967/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=December 20, 1967 |page=21|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> However, the state announced that they did move their timeline up and expected a replacement to be finished now in 1970, since design problems were avoided during that period. The state also noted that the new bridge would require the condemnation of as many as 20&nbsp;houses.<ref>{{cite news |title=States Sees Bridge Job Speeded Up |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46703538/lovelandtown-december-30-1967/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=December 30, 1967 |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> Drilling into the Point Pleasant Canal began on January&nbsp;2, 1968, when NJDOT inserted borings for new bridge supports.<ref>{{cite news |title=Span Footing Tests Start |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46704028/lovelandtown-bridge-january-3-1968/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=January 3, 1968 |page=21|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

However, by September&nbsp;1968, Point Pleasant wanted to know why the $2&nbsp;million set aside by the state for construction of the new bridge had been shifted to help facilitate the [[Aldene Plan]] in [[Union County, New Jersey|Union County]]. The new bridge, now costing $4&nbsp;million (1968&nbsp;[[USD]]), no longer was in the funding for the state. The borough demanded an answer from Governor Hughes, which did not come with answers. Hughes noted that if the state voters passed a new [[bond issue]], the Lovelandtown Bridge would be a top priority. This was in direct conflict with a promise by the State Highway Department in 1966, that money for the new bridge would be non-reliant on a bond issue or other strings. The borough demanded that Commissioner David Goldberg meet with borough officials to get the missing answers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Parley Due on Span at Pt. Pleasant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46704330/lovelandtown-bridge-september-29-1968/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Sunday Press |date=September 29, 1968 |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46704637/lovelandtown-bridge-september-29-1968/ 75]|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

That meeting would be scheduled for October&nbsp;8, 1968, at the offices for Goldberg in Trenton, with Mayor Brown heading out to discuss the problems.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bridge Conference Scheduled Tuesday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46704786/lovelandtown-bridge-october-2-1968/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=October 2, 1968 |page=25|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> Brown noted to the press that he wanted $4&nbsp;million of $114&nbsp;million earmarked for new railcars as part of the Aldene Plan to be shifted to a new bridge. He also noted that multiple members of the State Legislature, including Senator Hiering, along with Benjamin Mabie and John Brown of the Assembly would introduce legislation to help get funding earmarked immediately for the bridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=Officials Plan Meeting on Bond Issue |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46704957/lovelandtown-bridge-october-7-1968/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=October 7, 1968 |page=14|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

Brown's attitude changed once the meeting with Goldberg ended, feeling that Goldberg had been unsympathetic to their concerns and problems with the change in funding. Brown told the ''[[Asbury Park Press|Asbury Park Evening Press]]'' that Goldberg gave them a "snow job" and would still force them to rely on the November&nbsp;5 bond issue of $640&nbsp;million for transportation work. Mabie, Brown and Hiering noted that they would introduce their response bills once the Legislature reconvened after the election. Goldberg disagreed stating that even if the bond issue failed with the voters, he would have $40&nbsp;million in funding and the odds of funding would be 5&ndash;1 for the project. Mabie, along with Chief Beecroft intended to vote against the bond issue on November&nbsp;5. Brown, still concerned the bridge was going to fall into the canal again, was refuted by Goldberg who stated it is safe and would close it if he felt it was not.<ref>{{cite news |title='Snow Job' Charged in Span Parley |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46705252/lovelandtown-bridge-october-9-1968/ |access-date=March 14, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=October 9, 1968 |pages=1-[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46705486/lovelandtown-bridge-october-9-1968/ 2]|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>