Ocean Drive is a series of local toll roads in southern New Jersey, connecting Atlantic City to Cape May along barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of several roads and includes all five drawbridges owned by the Cape May County Bridge Commission.
 Ocean Drive | |||||||||||||
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 Ocean Drive highlighted in red | |||||||||||||
| Route information | |||||||||||||
| Maintained by NJDOT, Cape May and Atlantic counties, Egg Harbor Township, Ventnor City, Atlantic City, and Cape May County Bridge Commission | |||||||||||||
| Length | 50.0 mi[1][2] (80.5 km) | ||||||||||||
| Major junctions | |||||||||||||
| South end | Dead end in Cape May Point | ||||||||||||
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| North end | Maine Avenue in Atlantic City | ||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||
| State | New Jersey | ||||||||||||
| Counties | Cape May, Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Highway system | |||||||||||||
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Route description
edit_at_Primrose_Road_in_Wildwood_Crest,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
Ocean Drive begins in Cape May Point, and its southern terminus is split among two separate roads. One branch of Ocean Drive begins on Sunset Boulevard (CR 606) at its dead end and travels for 0.5 miles. The second branch of Ocean Drive begins on Cape Avenue (CR 651) at Lincoln Avenue, and travels for 0.7 miles. The two branches meet at an intersection, and Ocean Drive continues along CR 606 into Cape May. At the end of CR 606, Ocean Drive turns south along Broadway (CR 626), then heads east along Beach Avenue (CR 604). Ocean Drive travels along the coast to Pittsburgh Avenue (CR 622), and heads north along CR 622 to its terminus at Washington Street (Route 109), and continues north again.[3][4]
It crosses the Cape May Canal into Lower Township and makes a right turn onto CR 621. At this point, Ocean Drive signage begins. It then crosses over the Middle Thorofare Bridge (toll southbound) and continues north into Wildwood Crest. Ocean Drive follows CR 621 through the length of The Wildwoods, passing through Wildwood Crest, Wildwood (where it intersects Route 147), and finally continuing into North Wildwood. In North Wildwood, CR 621 ends and Ocean Drive follows Route 147 into Middle Township.[3][4]
_between_40th_Street_and_39th_Street_in_Sea_Isle_City,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
It turns right onto CR 619 and crosses over the Grassy Sound Bridge (toll northbound) and then the Stone Harbor Bridge into Stone Harbor. Ocean Drive follows CR 619 north through Stone Harbor's 3rd Avenue and into Avalon on Ocean Drive (at 80th Street. 3rd Avenue turns into Ocean Drive). It crosses over the Townsends Inlet Bridge (toll southbound) and continues north through Sea Isle City. It then heads through the Strathmere section of Upper Township before crossing the Strathmere Bascule Bridge (toll northbound) and Corson's Inlet Bridge into Ocean City.[3][4]
Ocean Drive continues to follow CR 619 north through Ocean City before meeting CR 623. It follows CR 623 for several blocks to the northwest on 34th Street before following CR 656 (Bay Avenue) through Downtown Ocean City, where it crosses the intersection with 9th Street, which provides access to Route 152. Ocean Drive crosses the Ocean City-Longport Bridge (toll southbound) over the Great Egg Harbor Bay into Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County.[3][4]
Upon entering Atlantic County, Ocean Drive follows the northern approach of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge to Route 152. At this point, Ocean Drive signage ends. It then makes a right turn on Route 152 and follows it to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway into Longport. Ocean Drive heads north on Atlantic Avenue through Longport, Margate City and Ventnor City. Atlantic Avenue continues into Atlantic City, and Ocean Drive terminates at the end of Atlantic Avenue in Uptown Atlantic City at North Maine Avenue.[3][4]
Tolls
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The five toll bridges on Ocean Drive charge $2.50 for cars, which can be paid in cash or with E-ZPass. The Middle Thorofare, Townsends Inlet, and Ocean City-Longport bridges have tolls in the southbound direction while the Grassy Sound and Corsons Inlet bridges have northbound tolls.[5] The tolls were slated to rise to $2.50 in February 2023 and $3 in February 2024.[6]
When the Ocean Drive bridges were first built, the toll for cars was 25 cents, charged in both directions at the Middle Thorofare, Grassy Sound, Townsends Inlet, Corsons Inlet, and Ocean City-Longport bridges. Toll hikes occurred in 1978, 1984, and 1988 in order to fund construction projects to the bridges. Following the rebuilding of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge in 2002, that bridge was converted to one-way tolling, with a $1 toll charged to cars in the southbound direction. The other bridges would be converted to one-way tolling by 2002.[7] Tolls were raised to $1.50 on February 1, 2009.[6]
In 2017 the Cape May County Freeholders approved the purchase of E-ZPass equipment to be installed on the bridges from Lower Township to Ocean City.[8] The introduction of E-ZPass was originally planned for June 2017 but was then delayed multiple times. E-ZPass was implemented at the Ocean City-Longport Bridge on April 30, 2018, the Middle Thorofafe Bridge on May 7, 2018, the Grassy Sound Bridge on May 14, 2018, and the Corsons Inlet Bridge and the Townsends Inlet Bridge on May 21, 2018.[9][10] On April 1, 2025, the Cape May County Bridge Commission is planning to implement all-electronic tolling along the five bridges, with tolls paid by E-ZPass or toll-by-plate.[11]
History
edit_at_29th_Street_in_Avalon,_Cape_May_County,_New_Jersey.jpg)
The Cape May County Bridge Commission was created by the county in 1934 in order to build a series of toll bridges linking the coastal communities of Cape May County. With the creation of this agency, the bridges were to receive federal funding through the New Deal. In 1940, several of the bridges comprising Ocean Drive were built, including the Middle Thorofare Bridge, Grassy Sound Bridge, and Townsends Inlet Bridge. In 1946, the Corsons Inlet Bridge was built and the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, built in 1927, was purchased by the commission, completing the link for the barrier islands between Cape May and Atlantic City.[7]
Along its route, the Ocean Drive followed mostly local roads.[3] The exception was the portion across the Cape May Canal between Cape May Canal and Lower Township, which was initially part of US 9 and Route 4 before becoming US 9 only in 1953 and then Route 109 in the 1970s.[12][13][14][15] By the 1950s and 1960s, most of the remainder of Ocean Drive became part of several county routes. The route between Sunset Beach and Cape May became CR 6 while the spur into Cape May Point became CR 51. Within Cape May, Ocean Drive became CR 26, CR 4, and CR 22 before it joined US 9. Past US 9, it became CR 21 and part of CR 585 before heading through Wildwood Crest and Wildwood along Atlantic Avenue. In North Wildwood, the route became CR 7/CR 585 before turning north into Middle Township and following CR 18/CR 585. Ocean Drive turned north and followed CR 30 through Stone Harbor and Avalon and CR 19 through Sea Isle City and into Ocean City. In Ocean City, Ocean Drive continued north from CR 19 onto Wesley Avenue and Gardens Parkway.[3][16]
Continuing into Atlantic County, the route headed east on CR 20 and entered Longport, where it became CR 29 through Longport, Margate City, and into Ventnor City. North of the Dorset Avenue intersection, Ocean Drive was locally maintained.[3][17] In 1969, the CR 20 portion of Ocean Drive in Atlantic County became Route 152 and in 1971, the portion of Ocean Drive leading into North Wildwood became a part of Route 147.[18][19] CR 585 was later removed from Ocean Drive and the remaining county routes in Cape May and Atlantic counties were given numbers in the 600-series. As a result, CR 6 became CR 606, CR 51 became CR 651, CR 26 became CR 626, CR 4 became CR 604, CR 22 became CR 622, CR 21 and CR 7 became CR 621, CR 30 and CR 19 became CR 619 in Cape May County.[16][20] In Atlantic County, CR 29 became CR 629.[17][21] In addition, Ocean Drive was modified to use CR 621 through the entirety of The Wildwoods and CR 656 (former CR 56) through the northern part of Ocean City.[4][20]
Over the years, several of the bridges along Ocean Drive have been reconstructed. In the late 1940s, the Ocean City-Longport Bridge was reconstructed due to poor maintenance from the earlier owner. In 1993, it was determined this bridge needed to be replaced, with the new bridge opening in July 2002. A portion of the old bridge became a fishing pier. In 1998, bonds were issued for improvements to all of the bridges owned by the commission. Bonds were issued in 2005 for construction projects on the Townsends Inlet Bridge and Corsons Inlet Bridge.[7] On September 17, 2018, the Townsends Inlet Bridge closed for a $8.6 million project that will replace the bridge with a new span. The new bridge was expected to open to traffic on May 22, 2019,[22] however, the opening date was pushed back due to more extensive replacement work needing to be done.[23] The Townsends Inlet Bridge reopened on July 25, 2019.[24]
On August 18, 2024, the Middle Thorofare Bridge was closed after the drive shaft motor that is used to open the bridge failed and could not be repaired. The Cape May County Bridge Commission looked for a replacement for the motor, and the closure was expected to last at least several weeks.[25] However, on August 21, 2024, the bridge reopened to traffic after getting a new motor and repairs were made.[26]
Major intersections
edit| County | Location | mi[1][2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May | Lower Township | 0.0 | 0.0 | Dead end | Western terminus of CR 606, southern terminus of Ocean Drive |
| 0.3 | 0.48 |   CR 651 south (Cape Ave) | Branch of Ocean Drive follows CR 651 0.7 mi (1.13 km) into Cape May Point | ||
| 0.4 | 0.64 |  CR 629 south (Lighthouse Ave) | |||
| West Cape May | 1.5 | 2.4 |   CR 607 north (Bayshore Rd) | ||
| 2.1 | 3.4 |   CR 606 ends  CR 626 north (Broadway)  CR 633 north (Perry St) | Eastern terminus of CR 606, north end of the overlap with CR 606, south end of the overlap with CR 626 | ||
| Cape May | 2.4 | 3.9 |   CR 627 west (Mt. Vernon Ave) | ||
| 2.5 | 4.0 |  CR 626 begins  CR 604 west (Beach Ave) | Southern terminus of CR 626, north end of the overlap with CR 626, south end of the overlap with CR 604 | ||
| 3.6 | 5.8 |  CR 653 north (Madison Ave) | |||
| 4.2 | 6.8 |  CR 604 east (Beach Ave)  CR 622 begins (Pittsburgh Ave) | Southern terminus of CR 622, north end of the overlap with CR 604, south end of the overlap with CR 622 | ||
| 4.8 | 7.7 |  CR 640 east (Delaware Ave) | |||
| 5.2 | 8.4 | CR 622 ends (Texas Ave)  Route 109 south (Washington St) | Northern terminus of CR 622, north end of the overlap with CR 622, south end of the overlap with Route 109 | ||
| Lower Township | 5.6 | 9.0 |       Route 109 north to US 9 / G.S. Parkway north  CR 621 begins | Southern terminus of CR 621, north end of the overlap with Route 109, south end of the overlap with CR 621, southern terminus of Ocean Drive signage | |
| Middle Thorofare | Middle Thorofare Bridge (southbound toll; cash or E-ZPass) | ||||
| Lower Township |  CR 630 north (Fish Dock Rd) | ||||
| Wildwood | 10.9 | 17.5 |   Route 47 / CR 661 north (Rio Grande Ave) to G.S. Parkway | ||
| 11.9 | 19.2 |  CR 614 west (Magnolia Ave) | |||
| North Wildwood | 13.4 | 21.6 | CR 621 ends  Route 147 begins (New Jersey Ave) | Northern terminus of CR 621, eastern terminus of Route 147, north end of the overlap with CR 621, south end of the overlap with Route 147 | |
| Middle Township | 14.8 | 23.8 |  Route 147 west (N Wildwood Blvd) to G.S. Parkway north  CR 619 begins | Southern terminus of CR 619, north end of the overlap with Route 147, south end of the overlap with CR 619 | |
| Grassy Sound | Grassy Sound Bridge (northbound toll; cash or E-ZPass) | ||||
| Intracoastal Waterway | Stone Harbor Bridge | ||||
| Stone Harbor | 18.2 | 29.3 |  CR 657 north (96th St) | ||
| Avalon | 21.7 | 34.9 |  CR 601 (Avalon Blvd) to G.S. Parkway | ||
| Townsends Inlet | Townsends Inlet Bridge (southbound toll; cash or E-ZPass) | ||||
| Sea Isle City | 26.4 | 42.5 |  CR 625 west (John F. Kennedy Blvd) | ||
| Upper Township | 30.0 | 48.3 |  CR 636 east (Commonwealth Ave) | ||
| Strathmere Bay | Strathmere Bascule Bridge (northbound toll; cash or E-ZPass) | ||||
| Corson Inlet | Corson’s Inlet Bridge | ||||
| Ocean City | 32.4 | 52.1 |  CR 619 Spur south (55th St) | ||
| 34.5 | 55.5 |  CR 656 north (35th St) | |||
| 34.7 | 55.8 | CR 619 ends  CR 623 east (34th St) | Northern terminus of CR 619, north end of the overlap with CR 619, south end of the overlap with CR 623 | ||
| 34.8 | 56.0 | CR 623 west (Roosevelt Blvd) to G.S. Parkway CR 656 south (Bay Ave) | North end of the overlap with CR 623, south end of the overlap with CR 656 | ||
| 37.5 | 60.4 |  9th St to Route 52 / G.S. Parkway | |||
| 39.8 | 64.1 | CR 656 ends (Gardens Pkwy) | North end of the overlap with CR 656 | ||
| Great Egg Harbor Bay | 39.8 | 64.1 | Ocean City-Longport Bridge (southbound toll; cash or E-ZPass) | ||
| Atlantic | Longport | 41.0 | 66.0 |  Route 152 west to G.S. Parkway – Somers Point | South end of the overlap with Route 152, northern terminus of Ocean Drive signage |
| 41.9 | 67.4 |  Route 152 ends CR 629 begins (Ventnor Ave) | Eastern terminus of Route 152, north end of the overlap with Route 152, south end of the overlap with CR 629 | ||
| Margate City | 43.6 | 70.2 |  CR 563 north (Jerome Ave) to G.S. Parkway | ||
| Ventnor City | 45.3 | 72.9 | CR 629 north (Dorset Ave) | North end of the overlap with CR 629 | |
| Atlantic City | 46.7 | 75.2 |   US 40 west / US 322 west (Albany Ave) | Eastern termini of US 40 and US 322 | |
| 46.9 | 75.5 | Atlantic Ave | North end of the overlap with Ventnor Avenue, south end of the overlap with Atlantic Avenue | ||
| 47.7– 47.8 | 76.8– 76.9 |   Arkansas Ave to A.C. Expressway / G.S. Parkway – Philadelphia, Camden | |||
| 49.3 | 79.3 | N Maine Ave | Northern terminus of Ocean Drive and Atlantic Avenue | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "Cape May County straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "Atlantic County straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Map of the Ocean Drive: Atlantic City – Cape May, New Jersey (Map). Rand McNally. 1964.
- ^ a b c d e f "overview of Ocean Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ "Toll Schedule". Cape May County Bridge Commission. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
- ^ a b "Proposed 2022-2024 Toll Adjustments". Cape May County Bridge Commission. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Bridge History". Cape May County Bridge Commission. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
- ^ Campbell, Al (February 20, 2017). "E-Z Pass Coming to County Toll Bridges". Cape May County Herald. CapeMayCountyHerald.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ^ Goldman, Jeff (April 25, 2018). "Long-delayed E-ZPass lanes finally coming to 5 Jersey Shore bridges". NJ.com. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Wittkowski, Donald (May 28, 2018). "E-ZPass Arrives on Townsends Inlet Bridge". Sea Isle News. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
- ^ Davis, Eddie (October 9, 2024). "Date Set for Cape May County Bridges to Go Cashless". Atlantic City, NJ: WFPG. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ "1953 renumbering". New Jersey Department of Highways. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
- ^ "New Road Signs Ready in New Jersey". The New York Times. December 16, 1952. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
- ^ Map of New Jersey (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Esso. 1970.
- ^ Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia (Map). Cartography by General Drafting. Exxon. 1976.
- ^ a b Map of Cape May County New Jersey (Map). Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders. 1955. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ a b Atlantic County New Jersey (Map). Cartography by New Jersey State Highway Department. Atlantic County, New Jersey. 1967. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ "397". ROUTE NO. ----. Beginning at or in the vicinity of the westerly abutment line of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge over Risley Channel in Atlantic county and thence proceeding toward Somers Point in said county and being presently designated as Atlantic County Route No. 20. New Jersey State Legislature. 1968.
- ^ State of New Jersey, Laws of 1971, Chapter 23, Section 1.
- ^ a b Cape May County (PDF) (Map). NJDOT. 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ Atlantic County (PDF) (Map). NJDOT. 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ Franklin, Chris (September 16, 2018). "Bridge between 2 Jersey Shore towns will close Monday". NJ.com. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ Jackson, Vincent (April 9, 2019). "Cape May County says Townsends Inlet Bridge won't open till late summer". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ Kramer, Andrew (July 25, 2019). "Townsends Inlet Bridge is now reopened". Philadelphia, PA: KYW-AM. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ Staff (August 18, 2024). "Middle Thorofare Bridge in Wildwood Crest closed due to motor failure". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Staff; Hartman, Trish (August 21, 2024). "Middle Thorofare Bridge, connecting Diamond Beach and Wildwood to Cape May, reopens". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
External links
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