Shuttered South Jersey bridge reopens to traffic

The reopening of a major bridge in South Jersey has drivers elated.

Officials initially had hoped that the Townsend Inlet Bridge, which links Avalon and Sea Isle City, would be back in service by Memorial Day. But unexpected setbacks delayed the $4.4 million project to repair the support beams on the bridge’s movable span.

The bridge was finally reopened early Friday night. It had been closed since Jan. 12, making the third consecutive winter the span was shuttered.

With the bridge out of commission, drivers had to use the Garden State Parkway to travel between the Jersey Shore towns. The detour added up to 10 miles to the usually short journey.

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