The Middle Thorofare Bridge connects Lower Township and Cape May.
The Middle Thorofore Bridge in Lower Township, connecting Lower Township’s Diamond Beach to Cape May, has been reopened to vehicular, pedestrian and bike traffic.
The bridge was closed on Aug. 18 due to a total failure of the drive shaft motor that is used to open the drawbridge on demand. Since then, Cape May County Bridge Commission staff and county officials were able to source a new drive-shaft motor, according to a Cape May County news release Wednesday.
County and Bridge Commission staff “worked tirelessly from morning to night to complete extensive repairs to the bridge’s drive-shaft-motor system, deeming it fully operational at the conclusion of their work,” the release states.
Both the Cape May County Bridge Commission and Cape May County “took an all-hands-on deck approach to this urgent need and the structural integrity of the bridge was never in question,” according to the release.
“A new motor, teamwork from staff and contractors, and dedicated efforts from Cape May County and Bridge Commission worked through the day and night,” Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera said in a Facebook post celebrating the bridge's reopening.
“Big thanks to CMC Administrator Kevin Lare for making it happen! And Lower Township for being a great neighbor and partner!” Cabrera added.
The Middle Thorofare Bridge was closed for three days after a mechanical failure left the drawbridge stuck in the upright position. (Photo courtesy of Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera on Facebook) Leonard Desiderio, Cape May County Board of Commissioners director and liaison to the Bridge Commission, also recognized the efforts of county workers to reopen the bridge.
“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,” he said.
He added that under the leadership of County Administrator and Bridge Commission Director Kevin Lare, “we took a best-case multi-week closure scenario and made a miracle happen.”
“The dedication and commitment of our county team to restore the bridge to full functionality is truly commendable,” Desiderio emphasized. “All traffic can now resume normal use of the Middle Thorofore Bridge without any restrictions. We greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of the public during this temporary closure and are pleased to announce that the bridge is back in service.”
