Bridge between Wildwood Crest and Cape May closed due to motor failure, could take weeks to repair
WILWOOD CREST, N.J. (CBS) -- The Middle Thorofare Bridge/Two Mile Bridge, which connects Wildwood Crest and Diamond Beach to Cape May, New Jersey, will be closed for the foreseeable future.
Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera posted on Facebook around 6:15 a.m. Sunday that the bridge is closed to vehicles, bikes and pedestrians due to a "motor failure that could not be repaired."
In a statement released Sunday afternoon, the Cape May Bridge Commission said the bridge experienced a "total failure of the drive shaft motor that was used to open the bridge on demand" at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. Tests determined "the motor was inoperable and irreparable," the commission said.
🚨 The Middle Thorofare Bridge / Two Mile Bridge is closed ! ‼️ Hi all - Just received word that the bridge is closed...
Posted by Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera on Sunday, August 18, 2024
The mayor said there's currently no timeline on when the bridge will reopen, and could be closed for "an extended period of time." On social media, the Cape May County Sheriff's Office said "major mechanical repairs" were needed to fix the issue.
The Cape May Bridge Commission echoed the severity of the issue, saying that goal of replacing the motor could take "many weeks."
The bridge will remain in the up position so commercial vessels can continue to pass through.
According to Cape May County, more than 560,000 crossed the Middle Thorofare Bridge in 2023, which also provides access to New Jersey's largest commercial fishing port. "The decision to keep the bridge in the open position supports the county's second largest industry and hundreds of jobs," a county spokesperson told CBS News Philadelphia.
Drivers heading south toward Cape May, Lower Township and the Garden State Parkway, or north toward Wildwood Crest, will need to use alternative routes.