The Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Cape May County Bridge Commission announced that the Townsends Inlet Bridge linking Sea Isle City and Avalon is now scheduled to reopen on Friday, July 26, pending the completion of final work over the next few days.
“We are delighted to see this critical component of barrier island infrastructure connecting the communities of Sea Isle City and Avalon is just days away from being restored to service,” Carol Brand, Bridge Commission chairwoman, said in a statement Monday. “Both the Commission and County Freeholders know how important the Townsends Inlet Bridge is to the summer tourism economy.”
Remaining work includes guiderail installation, saw-cutting the new bridge deck and approach slabs for drainage, touch-up painting, installation of bridge joint seals, traffic striping and final cleanup.
Immediately after the bridge is striped for traffic, the county will issue a follow-up media notice confirming it will be open for traffic on July 26, as presently scheduled.
A "Bridge Out" sign and barriers currently greet motorists on the Sea Isle side.
The 80-year-old bridge has been closed since September for an extensive repair project that included replacing seven deteriorated spans on the Avalon side. Originally, the bridge was scheduled to reopen before Memorial Day, but the completion date was pushed back to July after the contractor encountered delays.
Since becoming aware of the delays associated with significant construction complications occurring within the challenging marine environment, the County Engineer’s Office and Bridge Commission have worked closely with the contractor and engineering teams in order to accelerate all bridge work as quickly as practically possible, the statement said.
The contractor modified the methods of construction where possible and has worked additional shifts with additional crews in order to obtain the earliest opening date feasible. All this was done with keen focus on maintaining required work quality and standards, according to the statement.
“I am very pleased with the enthusiasm and tireless effort of the entire team towards making the absolute best of a difficult and challenging situation,” said Cape May County Freeholder Will Morey. “On behalf of the County, I extend my appreciation and heartfelt thanks to County Engineer Bob Church, Commission Engineer Lou Donofrio, Project Engineers Joe Ragusa and Dante Silvestro of Remington & Vernick Engineers, and Agate Construction Company Project Manager Jeff Davis and his entire construction team. The entire team worked in unison and stayed focused on the ultimate objective of opening the bridge as early in the summer season as possible.”
The Townsends Inlet Bridge is a critical link for traffic flow along the Ocean Drive causeway, especially during the busy summer tourism months.
https://youtu.be/sFy-xyt1UaY
(Video courtesy Remington & Vernick Engineers)
