Cape May County Proposes $11.5 Million in Bridge Repairs

Cape May County Proposes $11.5 Million in Bridge Repairs

Cape May County is looking to spend $11.5 million on bridge improvements, and one of the bridges included in the proposal has been dealing with structural deterioration for years.

During their October 13 meeting, the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners unanimously introduced Bond Ordinance 5-2026, which would provide funding for repairs and rehabilitation to several county bridges.

While the ordinance doesn’t identify every bridge that would receive funding, it specifically mentions the Grassy Sound Bridge, which connects Middle Township (or North Wildwood if you know it that way) and Stone Harbor along Ocean Drive.

Under the ordinance, Cape May County would appropriate $11.5 million for bridge improvements.

Approximately $10.95 million would be financed through county bonds or notes, with the remaining $547,620 coming from a required down payment.

A public hearing is scheduled for October 27, when commissioners could move forward with final adoption.

According to the county’s 2026 Comprehensive Bridge Replacement and Improvement Plan, engineers have identified deteriorating steel components in the Grassy Sound Bridge’s superstructure.

Those problems have reduced the bridge’s load-carrying capacity.

The county warns that further deterioration could eventually require a weight restriction below 15 tons, potentially affecting delivery trucks and other commercial vehicles.

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The structural rehabilitation alone is estimated to cost between $9.93 million and $10.8 million.

However, this project isn’t exactly new.

During a February 2025 meeting, county officials discussed a $12 million rehabilitation project for the Grassy Sound Bridge, with work previously expected to be completed in 2025.

The county’s updated infrastructure plan instead projects construction during 2026 and 2027.

It’s unclear why the timeline changed or whether the newly proposed $11.5 million will fully fund the rehabilitation.

The county’s long-term infrastructure plan estimates that completely replacing the Grassy Sound Bridge could cost between $53.5 million and $93.5 million.

That project is tentatively scheduled for construction between 2035 and 2038, depending on funding. 

In the meantime, the county has identified additional improvements, including steel recoating and bridge fender reconstruction, potentially costing millions more.

Grassy Sound isn’t the only bridge facing challenges.

The county’s plan identifies four older movable bridges such as Grassy Sound, Middle Thorofare, Townsends Inlet, and Corsons Inlet, as structurally deficient and functionally obsolete.

All four have posted 15-ton weight restrictions.

According to the plan, Cape May County has invested more than $45 million in maintenance and repairs to Bridge Commission structures over the past decade.

The October 27 public hearing will be the next step in determining whether the $11.5 million bond ordinance moves forward.

Several questions remain, including which other bridges would receive funding, when construction could begin, and whether motorists should expect traffic disruptions.

For now, the proposal highlights the growing cost of maintaining Cape May County’s aging bridge infrastructure.