September 29, 2023
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The 96th Street drawbridge that crosses into Stone Harbor from Middle Township will be replaced due to structural problems. A replacement could be completed in 2028.
The nearly century-old drawbridge that serves as the main crossing into Stone Harbor must be replaced in the coming years due to serious structural problems, Cape May County officials said.
The 96th Street Bridge crosses the waterway that divides New Jersey's main land from the barrier islands. The bridge starts at the end of Stone Harbor Boulevard, in Middle Township, and runs into the Jersey Shore borough's main business district. But the rare mechanism it uses to allow boats to pass has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced, officials said.
Structural problems have resulted in multiple emergency closures in recent years. County officials have had to divert traffic north to Avalon or south to the Ocean Drive Toll Bridge, causing delays for motorists during the busy shore season.
The goal is to replace the bridge by 2028. Planners anticipate months of detoured traffic in two phases, though a temporary span will be installed to allow traffic to enter Stone Harbor at 96th Street during the summer, according to a report on the state of the county's bridges.
The county plans to hold a public meeting about the bridge replacement in the near future, but no date has been set.
Despite investing more than $2 million in repairs to the 96th Street Bridge over the last decade, the county's report describes the its overall condition as "intolerable."
The movable portion of the bridge, built in 1930, uses an uncommon mechanical design called a Rall-type bascule. Because of its rarity, it was added to the New Jersey State Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Unlike other movable bridges, the bascule design has mechanisms that shift the span horizontally and vertically to allow boats to pass.
The span, also called the Gull Island Thorofare Bridge, remains safe to use in its current condition, but now requires annual inspections of areas that have deteriorated and cracked due to fatigue. Further repairs to the machinery that operates the bascule — the most vulnerable section of the bridge — would be prohibitively expensive because replacement parts need to be custom-fabricated, officials said.
The county's report notes a new bascule could potentially be built off site and then installed in order to minimize traffic disruptions.
County engineer Bob Church told the Press of Atlantic City that approvals for a new movable bridge will be sought in the next year and bids taken in May 2025. Then, an extended design phase will occur before constriction begins. He estimated the project will cost $30 million. The county intends to mostly fund it with grants. Part of the approval process will be demonstrating the need to replace the bridge despite its historic designation.
At a virtual meeting this week with boaters, county officials said the proposed bridge will have the same clearance as the existing one. When the drawbridge is down, boaters will be able to navigate 50 feet across and 9 feet high. They'll have unlimited vertical clearance when the bridge is raised.
Upgrades to the pedestrian walkway also are planned as part of the project.
