When the township announced during the summer of 2011 that the Echo Lake Bridge would be closed for replacement, it was believed the project would be done by the end of the year. 

According to Monmouth County Public Information Officer Laura Kirkpatrick after months of delays the county hopes to have the project completed in early March. Even while work on the bridge was performed Echo Lake Park remained open for residents to use.

Kirkpatrick said the delays started over the summer when Hurricane Irene forced the engineering department and the contractors hired to direct their resources to other projects in need of emergency repairs. "That was certainly a delay," she said.

One of the final steps in the process that has caused the most recent delays is the delivery of a piece known as the "gate valve." Kirkpatrick said this piece, which is a custom manufacture controls the flood waters at the Echo Lake Dam.

The valve is expected to be delivered in the "next couple of weeks," according to Kirkpatrick and once it is they can once again allow the water to flow normally near the bridge. Currently there is a pipe that is being used to divert the water away from the bridge. "They can reflow the water the way it should be flowing and do whatever cleanup and punch list work," that has to be done once the valve arrives Kirkpatrick said.

After almost seven months of working on the bridge Kirkpatrick said the people involved are "anxious to get this one closed out."