Middle Thorofare Bridge in New Jersey reopens ahead of schedule after mechanical issue
CAPE MAY COUNTY, N.J. (CBS) -- The Middle Thorofare Bridge/Two Mile Bridge in Lower Township is back in use on Wednesday, just three days after officials warned it would be stuck and inaccessible to traffic for several days or weeks.
The bridge connecting Wildwood Crest to Cape May got stuck in the fully upright position after a major mechanical failure on the motor that raises and lowers the movable deck to make room for boat traffic, officials said.
With drive-shaft motors not readily available, the county warned it could be several days or weeks before cars, bicycles and pedestrians could cross the bridge again.
However, things turned out better than best case – staff from the county and the commission were soon able to find an auxiliary motor and install it. The bridge reopened to traffic at 2 a.m. Wednesday.
"Unfortunate circumstances got us here, but we're happy with the results," Kevin Lare, the executive director of the Cape May County Bridge Commission, said
Lare said they needed a custom piece for the motor, which was built in the 1940s. They found one in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Monday, worked fast and overnighted several other parts from across the country to help reopen the bridge.
The repair team, comprised of local engineers and county employees, worked straight from 6 a.m. on Tuesday until 2 a.m. Wednesday to get the new motor in place.
"We were committed to seeing the project through once we started we weren't stopping," Lare said.
This temporary replacement motor will take longer to raise and lower the bridge than what drivers may be used to, but residents in the area are grateful for the quick turnaround.
Wayne Reichle, the president of Lund's Fisheries, said one of his ships was stuck for around eight hours on Saturday.
"I'm sure it's going to have some impacts on traffic this weekend, busy weekend … maybe the last busy weekend because it's before Labor Day," Reichle said. "But at least we can get to and from Wildwood and Cape May."
Reichle says overall he's impressed the problem got solved fast.
"Everybody was very concerned about whether or not we were going to be able to operate or not … but again the bridge commission really went out of their way to communicate well and we are back in business," Reichle said.
Other business owners are relieved the bridge was able to reopen within days.
"I thought it was going to hurt a bit, but it hurt a lot more," Dave Haentze, the general manager of Mooncussers, said. "It hurt a lot more than we thought [it would]."
Meanwhile, the Cape May County Bridge Commission is evaluating proposals for a new fixed-span bridge, which would eliminate the need for a motor altogether. The commission expects to award a contract for the new bridge design as early as November.
Cape May County commissioner director and Sea Isle City mayor Leonard Desiderio gave this statement:
On behalf of the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners, I want to extend my heartfelt and sincere thanks to our County public works, bridge commission staff, and consultant electrical engineers for their efforts to source a new motor and for working long hours to repair the system that resulted in the reopening of the Middle Thorofore Bridge. Under the leadership of our County Administrator and Bridge Commission Director Kevin Lare, we took a best-case multi-week closure scenario and made a miracle happen. With that said, the dedication and commitment of our County team to restore the bridge to full functionality is truly commendable.