CREST HAVEN – Cape May County Bridge Commission Executive Director Stephen O’Connor on Nov. 12 announced that the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge connecting the Borough of Avalon and Sea Isle City will be closed for repairs until the end of next week, likely Nov. 19 or 20.
O’Connor said, “It is anticipated that the bridge will remain closed to vehicular traffic until November 19th or 20th depending on weather conditions and the results of an engineering inspection.”
According to Cape May County Engineer Dale Foster, “A barge brought in to repair the fender system of the Ocean Drive Bridge caused damage Wednesday evening to the bridge railing, walkway and curb on the ocean side of the bridge. The barge broke loose from its mooring and came in contact with the bridge about 300 feet from the Avalon end of the bridge.”
With the strong winds and driving rain expected to continue, repairs to the damaged railing and sidewalk are not scheduled to begin until Sunday, November 15th. O’Connor added, “Repairs to the sidewalk are necessary before the bridge can reopen for the safety of users since the sidewalk acts as a buffer protecting vehicles from hitting the bridge railing.”
The high winds and rough tides are currently preventing an engineering inspection of the bridge to determine any potential damage to the structure underneath the bridge. Once repairs are made and it is determined that there is no structural damage, the bridge will be reopened to traffic.
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