All Clear Now -- With 55 Feet of Space -- Below New Ninth Street Bridge

The state Department of Transportation announced Wednesday (Oct. 19) that  Beach Thorofare now has 55 feet of vertical clearance for boats passing under the new Ninth Street Bridge.

The route is part of the Intracoastal Waterway (Mile 80.4) and until September 2011 required tall boats to wait for a drawbridge to open. A temporary clearance of 44 feet, 8 inches, was in place during construction for the past month.

The drawbridge is now permanently in an open position as crews prepare to demolish it and haul it away. Two fixed spans with 55 feet of vertical clearance are in place over the channel.

The state DOT urges mariners to be cautious in the construction zone until demolition of the old bridge is complete.