Labor Day Weekend May Be Ruined for Some of Jersey Shore by Bridge Malfunction

Anyone looking to vacation at Wildwood Crest or Cape May for Labor Day Weekend may have to change their plans.

Shore line of Cape May, New Jersey with a lighthouse in the background and sun setting. / Mandatory Credit - Ryan Stone

Labor Day Weekend is the official end of the summer season for many people. School starts back up shortly after, making it a great time for one last family trip to conclude the season.

A popular destination for families to go for Labor Day Weekend is the Jersey Shore. The Wildwoods welcomes more than 9 million visitors a year and is the most popular family-friendly destination on the shore.

Also very popular along the Jersey Shore is Cape May. Also one of the most visited counties in New Jersey, Cape May offers historical sites to visit along with its incredible beaches, surf and amusements.

Unfortunately for people who may have had a trip planned for Wildwood Crest and Cape May, things may have to change. The Middle Thorofare Bridge/Two Mile Bridge that connects them will be closed for the foreseeable future.

As shared by CBS News, “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.”

Major mechanical repairs will be needed for the bridge to become operational again. The part that broke is 100 percent customized for this bridge specifically, which means getting a new one will take months.

A temporary fix can be provided by an auxiliary motor that can be sent to New Jersey and installed in about a week’s time. But, it will make the process of lifting the bridge 4-5 times longer. A process that normally takes 2 or 3 minutes would be 10 or 12.

🚨 The Middle Thorofare Bridge / Two Mile Bridge is closed ! ‼️ Hi all - Just received word from County that the bridge...

Posted by Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera on Sunday, August 18, 2024

“Best case scenario for the auxiliary motor being in place and this bridge fully operational, absolute best with all the dominoes falling our way, seven to 10 days," Kevin Lare, the executive director of the Cape May County Bridge Commission, said. "Worst case scenario – four weeks. Primary motor is 20-25 weeks to have it built."

The bridge is being left upright to ensure that vessels in the water can make safe passage. That means the bridge is closed will remain closed to cars, bikes and pedestrians for a while.

It is a necessary move to ensure that the commercial fishing port of Cape May County can remain functional. "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.

This is a tough break for businesses that are on both sides of the bridge. Labor Day Weekend is drives a ton of customers, but the issue with the bridge will likely result in less traffic.

"This bridge is obviously pretty important to us," Dave Haentze, the general manager of Mooncusser’s Bar in Cape May said. "We have Diamond Beach right next to us and Wildwood Crest and normally, it's a quick little hop, skip, and a jump over here. "

What is normally a three or four-minute drive could turn into a 20-minute headache trying to find alternate routes.