State Provides $1 Million for Corson's Inlet Bridge Repair

Cape May County will receive $1 million from the Gov. Chris Christie administration for the repair of the Corson's Inlet Bridge.

The money is part of the Local Aid program to help repair or replace 31 county-owned bridges in New Jersey.

Cape May County awarded a $2.4 million contract in April to replace the rusted railings across the length of the bridge, which was constructed in 1948. The work is scheduled to be finished by Memorial Day 2012.

Two teen siblings swam to safety after crashing through the railing and off the bridge in February (). While the county had already solicited and rejected bids for the repair, the accident brought renewed focus to the deplorable condition of the railings.

Cape May County Administrator Stephen O'Connor said Monday that the county has already issued bonds to cover the cost of the Corson's Inlet Bridge repair, and that the funding will allow the county to pursue other much-needed bridge repairs. He said the county had already received another $1 million from the state for the substructure repair of the Grassy Sound Bridge connecting Stone Harbor and North Wildwood, and that Cape May was one of just seven counties receiving the second round of funding.

“This program has already enabled counties to remove 53 bridges from a list of nearly 290 bridges that were rated deficient, obsolete or otherwise in need of repair,” NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson said in a written statement. “These new grants will fund state-of-good-repair improvements for another 31 bridges, promoting safety and optimizing traffic flow.”