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 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.
"If you plan to travel south toward Cape May, Lower, or Garden State Parkway (or north into Lower and Wildwood Crest) you will need to drive around / take alternate routes," Cabrera said.
