Cape May County to Receive $1 Million for Local Bridge Repairs

COURT HOUSE — Cape May County has been awarded $1,000,000 from the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund to address deficiencies at two Cape May County-owned bridges, Lafayette Street (County Road No. 633) Bridge over Cape Island Creek between Cape May City and Lower Township and Ocean Drive (County Road No. 621) over Upper Thorofare in Lower Township.
$25 million has been dedicated by the State of New Jersey in the Fiscal Year 2013 Transportation Capital Program for local bridge projects. This Local Bridge Program provides funds to all 21 counties in the State for the preservation of bridges. The goal is to reduce the number of structural deficient local bridges by providing a consistent funding program.
County Engineer Dale Foster said, “Cape May County submitted the two bridges for funding this year after both bridges had slipped into the structurally deficient category based upon the latest bridge surveys. While they are deemed structurally deficient, they are not unsafe; however there are elements of the bridges that need to be addressed in order to return the bridge back into satisfactory condition.”
The Lafayette Street Bridge, also referred to as the Schellenger Landing Bridge, is a former movable bridge that was converted to a fixed span bridge after the Cape May Canal became operational. Though not visible to the motoring public, the bridge contains a machinery room below the bridge deck on either side of the main span. Due to its low elevation and steel construction, many of the supports within the machinery rooms have suffered extensive corrosion. The $500,000 allotted in Local Bridge Program funds for this bridge are to address the condition of the steel supports in the machinery rooms. The County is currently in the process of engaging an engineering consultant to prepare the necessary contract documents for the proposed repair program. Construction of the repairs is anticipated to occur after next year’s tourist season.
The Ocean Drive Bridge over Upper Thorofare is located just west of the toll bridge between Cape May City and Diamond Beach. Recent storms have resulted in the erosion of the slopes about the abutments, thus exposing their footings. Additionally, edges on some of the concrete piles on the piers have broken off, exposing reinforcing steel. The steel is now exposed to salt water, resulting in rapid corrosion. The proposed program is to repair the concrete piles and to construct slope protection about the abutments. The County is also in the process of engaging an engineering consultant to secure the necessary regulatory agency permits for the work and the contract documents. Due to the time to secure permits, it is anticipated that the construction of the repairs will take place in the fall of 2014.
Foster added, “The Local Bridge Program provides much needed funding to the County to address our infrastructure. Without this funding, the County would have had to provide the dollars for the project through our local property taxes.”
For more information, please call County Engineer Dale Foster at 609-465-1035.