STONE HARBOR – Cape May County held a meeting, Sept. 26, to get public input on navigation issues related to the replacement of the movable portion of the 96th Street Bridge over the Great Channel.
The half-hour virtual meeting, required by the U.S. Coast Guard, had 30 participants at its maximum attendance and was moderated by Steve Esposito, a design consultant with the county’s consulting firm, WSP.
The session was organized around the issue of navigation in the channel. Future meetings are to consider the bridge as part of the county’s surface road infrastructure.
The movable portion of the 96th Street Bridge is beyond its useful life, according to the presentation; it was constructed in the 1930s. Stationary portions of the bridge that provide the approach to the movable span are relatively new, constructed in the 1980s, and will not be replaced.
The new movable span portion of the bridge is being designed to match existing channel clearances – 50 feet of horizontal clearance and vertical clearance of between 8.7 feet at the fenders and a maximum of 10.7 feet at the center of the span.
Esposito said the goal is that “anything that currently fits will still fit.” He said the span now has about 475 openings per year, with the majority during the summer months. The span will have an added sidewalk along its north side.
The general schedule discussed at the meeting calls for completion of the design during the winter of 2024-2025. Spring 2025 would see advertisement for bids, with a goal of making an award and starting construction in summer 2025.
The work will be timed to accommodate the county’s tourist season.
“Work will be organized to minimize the impact on the summer season,” Esposito said.
The projected completion date for the project is during the winter of 2027-2028.
One commenter said the project represents a “once in a 100-year” opportunity to raise the clearances. Esposito’s response was that augmenting clearances would have a significant impact on project costs. The design goal, he said, is to keep clearances at present levels.
Geoff Woolery, a boater and member of the Stone Harbor Property Owners Association, asked what sea-level rise projection was being incorporated into the design and the impact that may have on future clearances. Esposito acknowledged that sea-level rise was a factor that had to be incorporated into the planning, but did not otherwise provide specifics.
Woolery also asked about preserving the flood gauge that sits at the east end of the span and was assured by county engineer Robert Church that the gauge would be maintained.
Church said the presentation slides by WSP will be available to the public on the county website.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
