Ocean City-Longport Bridge Tolls Now Waived During Route 52 Nighttime Detours

At the request of Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian, the Cape May County Bridge Commission agreed to waive the $1.50 tolls on the Ocean City-Longport Bridge for cars detoured from the free Route 52 causeway. The tolls will be waived for six nights starting tonight.

The causeway has been closed at night to allow construction crews to place massive I-beams for a new bridge into Ocean City. All traffic has been detoured to the free 34th Street Bridge or to the tolled Ocean City-Longport Bridge. The detours started on Monday and Tuesday nights, and they continue 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. tonight (April 20) and Thursday (April 21) and again the same hours Monday to Thursday, April 25 to 28.

The state Department of Transportation said last week that the county would not be reimbursed for lost toll revenues, and tolls were charged on Monday and Tuesday.

But Bridge Commission Executive Director Stephen O'Connor said Wednesday that the county and Ocean City came to an agreement to waive the "minimum amount" of tolls the county might expect to receive on six April weeknights, if the county gets reimbursed by the city or the bridge contractor.

The county and the city have worked out similar agreements during past bridge closings, and the county charges based on comparable hours and dates in 2010.

O'Connor said the county is still determining exactly how much toll revenue the bridge collected during comparable nights in April 2010. In anticipation of a similar detour this winter, O'Connor had said the bridge collects only about $1,000 in tolls during an entire day.

O'Connor said Gillian had expressed concern for Ocean City residents and visitors paying two sets of tolls: one coming off the Garden State Parkway and another on the Ocean City-Longport Bridge.