Construction crews are using large cranes that sit on top of barges anchored in the inlet.
By Donald Wittkowski
The only way to travel now between Sea Isle City and Avalon across Townsends Inlet is by boat or to swim.
Construction crews overseeing the $8.6 million renovation of the Townsends Inlet Bridge have begun removing deteriorated spans on the Avalon side.
The work has created a gap in the bridge, making it impossible for any car or truck to travel all the way across between both towns.
“It looks like a whole section of the bridge is missing now,” Sea Isle Mayor Leonard Desiderio said.
Seven deteriorated spans on the bridge are being replaced as part of an eight-month overhaul. In all, there are 27 spans that comprise the entire structure.
The bridge closed on Sept. 17 for reconstruction and is not expected to reopen until May 22, 2019, just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the bustling summer tourism season at the Jersey Shore.
A "Bridge Closed" sign and barriers block the way on the Sea Isle side.
Construction crews are using a floating barge, at right, as a platform for one of the large cranes.
The renovation project underway now is designed to keep the bridge in service until a combination of county, state and federal funding can be found to replace it altogether. Desiderio said it would take about 10 years to plan, design and build a new bridge even if the money becomes available for the estimated $105 million to $175 million project.
In the meantime, motorists who had been able to make a short hop over the bridge between Sea Isle and Avalon now have to follow a lengthy detour on the Garden State Parkway or Route 9 for trips between both towns.
With the bridge no longer available, Desiderio noted that he had a roundabout 15-mile, one-way trip from his house to the Avalon Yacht Club to attend a recent political function.
