Wanted: Bridge to the Future

DIAMOND BEACH – By 1940, a generation of Americans had grown up with the automobile. The Great Depression had begun to ease, and while war already raged in Europe and Asia, America remained at an uneasy peace.
The resort communities along Cape May County’s once-wild barrier islands had grown into year-round population centers, and local officials wanted to tie those communities together.
It took years of planning and organization, but a New Deal-funded project built roads and bridges running between the islands, a scenic highway for a new gilded age, to be called Ocean Drive.
When the first of those bridges over Middle Thorofare opened to traffic that year in Lower Township, the Garden State Parkway had not yet begun construction in North Jersey.
But the automobile had become a big part of American life, with about 4.7 million cars sold in the United States. Last year, that number was closer to 18 million, but the infrastructure built for Packards and the Ford Deluxe remains in daily use.
As outlined in a previous installment of this series, four of the bridges along Ocean Drive are listed in poor condition, but the Middle Thorofare Bridge is in the most pressing need of replacement. There is no lack of consensus on the need for a new bridge over the Middle Thorofare. What’s lacking is money.  
Planning to Start a Plan
County Engineer Dale Foster estimates it would cost at least $200 million to build the bridge he wants at the site. 
As envisioned, it would be by far the largest bridge in Cape May County, and far taller than any other bridge in the county, to accommodate the commercial fishing fleet that must pass under the existing drawbridge.
Even if everything were set to go today, it would take years to construct such a bridge, and things are far from ready to go, according to Foster.
First Step, a Plan
Jennifer Marandino, the executive director of the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization, is working with the New Jersey Department of Transportation to launch a study of the orientation of a new bridge.
She estimates the concept development study alone will cost $1.4 million, and that’s only the first drop in a big bucket. She’s confident that money, at least, will come through.
“They are working with us, absolutely,” she said of the DOT. “They indicate there will be money available to fund it.”
The SJTPO works on infrastructure planning for Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland and Salem counties.
Marandino described it as a “quasi-state agency,” which is federally funded, but falls under the administrative umbrella of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which also runs the Garden State Parkway.
The SJTPO has offices in Vineland and exists to look ahead on infrastructure needs. It’s also the key to bringing Washington money to local projects.
“Otherwise counties would not have access to federal dollars,” Marandino said. With the expected cost, it’s unlikely a bridge would be built without federal money.
Could County Fund Bridges?
“Probably not. $200 million would be difficult,” said Director Gerald M. Thronton, of the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The numbers don’t get easier when looking at all four bridges, which could put the total tab at $500 million to $600 million, he said.
“We’re in the process of developing a long-term plan for the Ocean Drive bridges,” Thornton said in a recent interview.
“We keep hearing from the feds that there’s going to be infrastructure money available, so we’re trying to prepare ourselves to be ready to jump on that if it does become available.”
President Trump has promised big spending on infrastructure projects.
But U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo’s (R-2nd) chief of staff, Jason Galanes, said the president’s infrastructure package is months away from any possible enactment. And before LoBiondo can advocate for funding for a new bridge, the state has to list the bridge as a transportation priority. 
At one time, a congressman could push for a big project in his district, under the system known as earmarks. That’s essentially what permitted funding for the last Ocean Drive bridge to be replaced, the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, completed in 2002 for more than $50 million.
But earmarks gained a bad reputation, and in 2011, Congress enacted a moratorium on the practice. That makes it a lot harder for a member of Congress to bring a particular project to a district. Instead, the process relies on the state to prioritize potential projects.
That’s what brings the New Jersey Department of Transportation into the mix.
Marandino hopes to have a contract for a two-year study by the fall, with results in for the spring of 2019. If that goes well, the next step would be to design a project.
There had already been a study, but the facts on the ground have changed. The previous study included the use of property owned by the Coast Guard, part of the LORAN station at the southern tip of Five Mile Island.
The radio-based system allowed boat captains to pinpoint their location, based on the signals from shore of two or more bases, but that system was phased out with the rise of GPS, and the Coast Guard closed the base.
The wide, undeveloped property was given to the U.S. Division of Fish and Wildlife.
According to Foster, because of the value of the area to endangered birds, it is unlikely the division would give any up for bridge construction.
Still, Marandino hopes the previous study can be used to reduce the cost and the time needed for the next study.
Back to the Engineer
Calls to the Cape May County Bridge Commission were forwarded to Foster. The county engineer also serves as the engineer for the commission.
A message left asking for someone from the commission to talk policy and funding was not returned.
Marandino also suggested that Foster was the person to talk to on all matters of Cape May County bridges.
State Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1st) did not return a phone call. 
DOT spokesman Daniel Triana didn’t have much to add.
“As you know, the thoroughfare bridge on CR621/Ocean Drive is owned and maintained by the Cape May County Bridge Commission. The department recently met with Cape May County to discuss the bridge. Any further details would have to come from the Cape May County Bridge Commission,” he wrote in an emailed response to a request for an interview.
There was no response to a follow-up request for more details on how the Middle Thorofare Bridge on County Road 621 could be ranked as a priority for the state, which LoBiondo’s office says is a necessary step to secure federal funding.
In an extensive interview for this series, Foster indicated he’s working to build support for some big projects on the Ocean Drive bridges.
“I think with the latest issues that the county’s had with a couple of our bridges, the need for major repairs or replacement is opening up eyes and bringing about some discussions,” he said. The bridges are on a regular maintenance schedule – the railings on Middle Thorofare are planned for replacement soon, but repairs only go so far.
Sooner or later, a replacement has to be on the table. “We’ve tried to move forward with replacing the Middle Thorofare Bridge. Unfortunately, the big hurdle is finding the money for actual replacement.” 
Foster met with the DOT and SJTPO in the spring. He described the meeting as an attempt to get the bridge back on their radar. But it does not sound like he walked away with a hardy handshake and a blank check.
“We’re still looking for funding,” he said. “They gave us some ideas for possible funding sources. Not necessarily federal or state money, but they gave us some possible avenues to explore.”
Those avenues included finding a private investor to take over the bridge, or potentially replacing it with another drawbridge.
“Moveable bridges are cheaper than a fixed span when you look at the construction costs,” he said. “But they are more expensive in the long term.”
Private toll bridges do exist; there is one leading into Margate. But the last one in Cape May County connected Beesley’s Point to Somers Point. It has been demolished, after a series of high-profile problems and a public takeover.
The last portion of the bridge came out last fall after the old bridge had been closed for more than a decade.
In any case, Foster doubts the year-round traffic over Middle Thorofare would generate anywhere close to enough revenue to interest a private investor.
Foster’s vision of a new Middle Thorofare Bridge would not be a bargain option. His plan would have a clearance of more than 100 feet and be close to a mile long, to allow the big fishing vessels to pass underneath without interrupting traffic.
Even with the possibility of progress on Middle Thorofare, Foster’s headaches are not cured.
Roads and bridges need constant maintenance, and there are three other Ocean Drive bridges that date from the same era that he would also like to see replaced.
Thornton estimated it could take 15 to 20 years before county residents and visitors could use new bridges between the barrier islands.
The Townsend’s Inlet Bridge connecting Sea Isle City and Avalon is undergoing emergency repairs after cracks were discovered in pilings during an underwater inspection.
It had been hoped the span would open by Memorial Day Weekend, but that did not happen. The next target is Fourth of July for reopening.
A big project is planned there for the winter.
And according to Foster, there are similar problems with the Grassy Sound Bridge leading into Stone Harbor and the Corson’s Inlet Bridge at Strathmere’s north end.
The SJTO is working on the next step toward replacing the Middle Thorofare Bridge, but Marandino said the other three Ocean Drive bridges are not yet on the planning organization’s radar.
“They may be on Dale’s, but our understanding is that the Middle Thorofare Bridge is the most immediate need, so that’s where our efforts are focused right now,” she said.
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.