Middle Given Update on County Projects

COURT HOUSE – Middle Township residents and visitors can soon look forward to smoother travels on county-owned roads and bridges. 
According to a release, Cape May County recently provided Mayor Timothy Donohue with an expansive outlook for infrastructure improvements, from work that is ongoing or will take place later this year, to the 96th Street Bridge replacement project, set to begin in 2027, after several years of design preparation. 
Timeline for improvements throughout the Township includes:
Maintenance paving for summer/fall 2021
• Full length of Stone Harbor Boulevard 
• Portions of Court House South Dennis Road 
• Goshen Swainton Road from County Route 657 to Route 9 (Phase 1 of 2)
• Portions of Avalon Boulevard 
Roads scheduled for maintenance paving in 2022 
• Goshen Swainton Road from County Route 657 to Route 47 (Phase 2) 
• Hand Avenue 
• Goshen Road from Timothy Lane to Bidwell Culvert 
• Bayshore Road from Norbury’s Landing to Route 47 
Road projects under design, likely for spring 2022 
• Goshen Road from Dias Creek to beyond Timothy Lane (Phase 1) 
• Dias Creek Road from Galloping Way to Route 47 
Drainage projects: 
• Goshen Road west of Bidwell Culvert, at existing S-curve, to be completed by May 2021 
• Railroad Avenue from Corson Road north to Route 47 and on Satt Boulevard, from Route 47 north (future contract). 
The addition of rumble strips will round out this year’s road projects. Installation of centerline rumble strips will take place this spring and summer on Court House South Dennis Road, Bayshore Road, north of the Lower Township line, Fulling Mill Road and Avalon Boulevard.
Emergency construction that began on the 96th Street Bridge last June following an inspection is expected to wrap up in early spring. Work to this point has included the installation of speed tables for traffic calming, repainting of structure steel, and repair of deteriorated parts. A separate contract this spring will replace existing motor drives for efficiency and greatly reduce the risk of catastrophic electrical failure. 
The county also will accept proposals for the replacement design of the bridge’s movable span this summer. The updates will include the installation of a cantilevered pedestrian/bike walkway on the north side of the bridge and enhancement of the south side walkway. Permitting and design will likely take five years with construction tentatively scheduled for 2027. 
Other current and future bridge projects include: 
Ingram’s Thorofare Bridge re-decking – A two-year project is in the final stages of construction with completion expected in late May. 
Hand Avenue Culvert – Design and permits are complete for the replacement of the culvert and upgrades to the approach road. Pending funding, the contract should be awarded this fall or in spring 2022. 
Springer Mill Culvert – Sister project to the Hand Avenue project, this replacement is currently being designed. Construction is expected in 2024.