COURT HOUSE — An end may be in sight for the Beesley’s Point Bridge closure, which has left Cape May County – the nation’s sixth most storm-vulnerable area – without adequate evacuation routes for over four years.
State Sen. Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam (all D-1st) announced Wednesday, Nov. 12 that the last major hurdle to repairing and opening the Beesley’s Point Bridge has been crossed.
“I have received communication from the company that at a stock holder meeting of the company the decision was made to return the $900,000 the State of New Jersey had given to them to keep the bridge open,” Van Drew stated in a release.
“I thank the stockholders for doing what is right. Regardless of the fact that they used the original $900,000 that was given to them for bridge repairs, they decided to return the $900,000 to the State in order to abide by their original contract. They have kept their word.”
The Beesley’s Point Bridge (actually two bridges), which connects Upper Township and Somers Point, carries Route 9 over the Great Egg Harbor Bay running parallel to the Garden State Parkway. The privately owned 4,000-foot span has been closed since June 2004.
“This is an extremely significant day for Upper Township and Cape May County. This project has languished too long. It’s time we get it done and get this bridge open,” said Albano.
“It is good to see that we are now in the final chapter of what has been a long and at times painful process,” Milam agreed.
All that remains now is for the Cape May County Freeholders and the State of New Jersey to sign final agreements.
“We have a real potential to get this agreement in place by the end of the year. I believe that this was the last, most difficult piece to the puzzle,” Van Drew concluded.
At the county’s 4th Annual Transportation Infrastructure Conference March 11, state Van Drew announced that the county and state have a “memorandum of agreement” in which the state will fund 60 percent or $12 million of the $20 million needed to fix the bridge. Under the proposal, the state would also pay the annual $1.3 million debt for the first three years as the bridge is repaired.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
