CREST HAVEN – The county commissioners have approved a $9 million contract for preliminary engineering on Ocean Drive road upgrades and bridge improvements. The work is part of a $250 million project that includes the replacement of the Middle Thorofare Bridge.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the commissioners authorized the engineering contract with Michael Baker International, whose Northeast regional bridge manager, Joe Romano, attended the meeting.
The project includes about 2.7 miles of roadway between Madison Avenue in the Diamond Beach section of Lower Township and the Route 109/Garden State Parkway interchange.
It also takes in two low-level bridges – the Mill Creek Bridge and the Upper Thorofare Bridge – as well as the Middle Thorofare Bridge, which opens for fishing boats and tall-masted sailboats.
The larger bridge was the subject of concern twice in August – the first time, mid-month, when a drawbridge motor needed to be replaced, and at the end of the month, when a disabled commercial fishing boat ended up pinned against the bridge.
In the spring, county Engineer Robert Church said the project would include road reconstruction at the 5-foot culvert near Two Mile Landing. Essentially, the existing roadway will be elevated 4 feet, to bring it above base flood elevation, Church said.
He said after the Oct. 22 meeting that the project would not be affected by the DEP’s proposed REAL regulations, which would require an additional 5 feet of elevation for new construction or reconstruction due to sea level rise. He said the road was grandfathered in under existing rules, but was going to be raised about 5 feet anyway.
Church said in the spring that this project would be the biggest project in Cape May County history. Replacement of the 85-year-old Middle Thorofare Bridge has been talked about for at least a decade, beginning well before Church was named county engineer in 2018. But he has been on staff for 27 years and worked under the previous county engineer, Dale Foster.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
