Editing New Jersey Route 13 (section)

==== Funding and land acquisition (1968&ndash;1969) ====
With the money for the Lovelandtown Bridge construction reliant on passing of the public bond issue, Senator Hiering showed his support for the new bond to help pay for transportation projects.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hiering in Favor of Bond Proposals |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46811895/hiering-bond-october-18-1968/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=October 18, 1968 |page=29|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> Assemblyman Brown, though not public, opposed the new bond issue. He was concerned that Ocean County would be left out of most of its benefits, and he also felt there was voter discontent. Mabie, however, continued to show his support and optimism for the new bond issue,<ref>{{cite news |title=Passage of Bond Issues Believed in the Balance |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46736349/lovelandtown-bond-november-3-1968/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Sunday Press |date=November 3, 1968 |page=22|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> which passed on November&nbsp;5, 1968, by 502,415 votes.<ref>{{cite news | access-date=March 16, 2020 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46812353/bond-issue-november-6-1968/ | title=Bond Questions Approved Easily | via=Newspapers.com | work=The Asbury Park Evening Press | date=November 6, 1968}}</ref> NJDOT then promised a multitude of projects in Ocean County, including construction on [[New Jersey Route 37|Routes&nbsp;37]] and [[New Jersey Route 72|72]] and the Lovelandtown Bridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fast Action Vowed on Road Plans |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46736483/lovelandtown-bond-november-23-1968/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=November 23, 1968 |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

In January&nbsp;1969, the New Jersey State Legislature approved to spend $242&nbsp;million of the new bond issue. $110&nbsp;million would go to the construction of transportation projects immediately, including the Lovelandtown Bridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bond Issue Spending Bill Approved |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46812779/bond-issue-january-15-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=January 15, 1969 |page=38|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> In late January, the state started notifying property owners in the way of the new bridge and approach about the condemnation of their properties. Property owners noted they had 90&nbsp;days to negotiate with the state about proper return values. The ''Asbury Park Evening Press'' noted that nine of the properties were on Partridge Run and the remaining 11 would be west of the canal.<ref>{{cite news |title=Loveland Parcels Sought |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13853179/13-parcels-january-22-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=January 22, 1969 |page=24|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

However, Goldberg announced to Ocean County officials that there would be more delays in all projects besides the widening of Route&nbsp;37 through [[Toms River, New Jersey|Toms River]] until 1970.<ref>{{cite news |title=County Learns of Delays in State Road Projects |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46813194/lovelandtown-january-24-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=January 24, 1969 |page=25|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> Despite the report by Goldberg, Assemblyman Brown noted in March&nbsp;1969 that NJDOT was about ready to announce the advertisement for bids on a new bridge. Brown noted that Goldberg was saying they were moving forward rapidly on the bridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=State Pledges Bridge, Rte. 9 Project Speed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46813407/lovelandtown-march-18-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=March 18, 1969 |page=26|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> By April, tax assessors were working on estimating tax values for the properties to be acquired for the new Lovelandtown alignment.<ref>{{cite news |title=Valenti Attempts to Name Blair to Bench Fails |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46813839/lovelandtown-valenti-april-16-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=April 16, 1969 |page=29|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> By August, the borough approved to sell land along Bridge Avenue for construction of the new bridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=Council Accepts State's Land Bid |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46814073/lovelandtown-august-12-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=August 12, 1969 |page=18|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

In September&nbsp;1969, the state noted that they would be ready to advertise and accept bids on the new project starting in late October&nbsp;1969.<ref>{{cite news |title=Route 37 Project Seen on Schedule |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46814412/lovelandtown-bridge-september-17-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=September 17, 1969 |page=32|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> NJDOT said they could have shovels in the ground during 1969 if all went well, including property acquisition. 15&nbsp;houses would be demolished by the project, but only one had been acquired by September 18, 1969, the one at 1644 Elm Street, once owned by the [[Federal Housing Administration]] and would be sold at auction in [[Cherry Hill, New Jersey|Cherry Hill]]. They felt construction would be finished by mid-1971 after starting in December&nbsp;1969.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bridge Construction Start Predicted for December |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46814839/lovelandtown-september-19-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=September 19, 1969 |page=23|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> This did not go according to plan as NJDOT had to file a condemnation lawsuit against James Duff, a property owner along the west side of the canal that was in the way of the new bridge. The request was made to get a three-man panel to come to an agreement on what Duff would be paid for the property for the future western approach.<ref>{{cite news |title=State Files Suit Against Couple |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46815119/lovelandtown-bridge-october-11-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=October 11, 1969 |page=16|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

Despite the lawsuit, the state did open advertising on bids in late October&nbsp;1969.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lovelandtown Bridge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46815303/lovelandtown-october-22-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=October 22, 1969 |page=18|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> Despite the plan for bid announcements on November&nbsp;26, within a week of the advertising, NJDOT was in court again, this time of a property on Central Avenue in Point Pleasant owned by William Hall. The borough of Point Pleasant was also named as a defendant as they claimed to have a lien on the property Hall owned.<ref>{{cite news |title=State Seeks Property for New Bridge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46815434/lovelandtown-october-29-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=October 29, 1969 |page=28|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> The borough of [[Bay Head, New Jersey|Bay Head]] noted that they would only lose one property for construction and that their municipality would not be disrupted during construction of the new bridge.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bridge Seen as No Problem for Borough |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46815572/lovelandtown-november-18-1969/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=November 18, 1969 |page=5|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> However, the project would take over four parcels in total for the new bridge and approaches in Bay Head.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lovelandtown Bridge Will Take 4 Parcels |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/46816061/lovelandtown-bay-head-december-16/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=The Asbury Park Evening Press |date=December 16, 1969 |page=17|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>