Bridge connecting 2 Jersey Shore towns to close until spring

Officials say a bridge that links two Cape May County municipalities will close once again for repair and maintenance work.

Google image.

Google image.

Officials say a bridge that links two Cape May County municipalities will close once again for repair and maintenance work.

The Townsends Inlet Bridge, connecting Avalon and Sea Isle City, New Jersey will close at 4 a.m. on Sept. 18 for eight months. County officials expect the span to reopen for Memorial Day weekend in 2019.

Repairs, both scheduled and emergency, have forced the closure of the bridge on numerous occasions in recent years. The 80-year-old span is one of the county’s most structurally deficient bridges.

The latest overhaul will be the demolition of seven old steel spans and replacement with concrete spans along with decking, railing, and piling work. Officials expect the work to cost $8.6 million.

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The last maintenance project between November 2017 and May 2018 for the replacement of steel railings forced traffic to alternate through one lane.

During previous projects that required the full closure, motorists were forced to take inland routes to reach Avalon or Sea Isle City.

Once the bridge is closed, traffic heading north along Ocean Drive will be detoured onto Avalon Boulevard. Southbound motorists along Landis Avenue will be directed onto Sea Isle Boulevard.

Bicyclist and pedestrians will also not have access to the bridge. Officials request boaters to avoid the area since barges will be on site.

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