Rating:
2 votes

Beesley's Point-Somers Point Bridge

Cape May County, New Jersey, and Atlantic County, New Jersey

Photos 

Main Drawspan Of Beesley's Point Bridge

The currently locked open draw span awaits its removal. the concrete piers are not what supports the span. In the backround is the Beesley's Point Generating Station, a coal power plant with a cooling tower.

Photo by Adam Elmquist

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View this photo at geolocation.ws

BH Photo #220374

Map 

Description 

Carried the Garden State Parkway until its bridge was completed in 1955.

Facts 

Overview
Lost Deck plate girder bascule bridge over Great Egg Harbor Bay on US 9
Location
Beesleys Point, Cape May County, New Jersey, and Atlantic County, New Jersey
Status
Removed
Future prospects
Bridge is being demolished, most of the structure is gone.
History
Built 1928 for the Ocean City Automobile Club; Closed 2004; Demolished 2013-14
Design
Steel beams on wooden piers support the bascule approach spans, the concrete piers on the underside of the bridge are non functional. The wooden decked bascule span is locked in the up position.
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 80.1 ft.
Total length: 4,004.1 ft. (0.8 mi.)
Deck width: 27.9 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.29281, -74.62611   (decimal degrees)
39°17'34" N, 74°37'34" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/532241/4349336 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Marmora
Inventory numbers
NJ 3900001 (New Jersey bridge number)
BH 25149 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 09/2006)
Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Critical (2 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Critical (2 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 9.8 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2006)
5,620

Categories 

Atlantic County, New Jersey (33)
Bascule (1,024)
Beam (11,945)
Beesleys Point, New Jersey (1)
Built 1928 (1,030)
Built during 1920s (8,765)
Cape May County, New Jersey (19)
Deck girder (4,491)
Garden State Parkway (8)
Girder (7,948)
Have street view (22,076)
Lost (18,680)
Lost 2013 (254)
 Lost during 2010s (1,998)
Movable (2,705)
Navigable waterway (1,998)
New Jersey (1,200)
Owned by bridge authority (184)
Plate girder (6,119)
Somers Point, New Jersey (5)
Span length 75-100 feet (5,802)
Steel stringer (4,685)
Structurally deficient (18,430)
Toll (129)
Total length over 2500 feet (793)
US 9 (32)

Update Log 

  • June 18, 2014: Updated by Stephen Greer: Lost
  • June 17, 2014: New Street View added by Stephen Greer
  • October 18, 2013: Updated by Stephen Greer: Updated current status
  • April 14, 2012: New photo from Stephen Greer
  • November 18, 2011: Updated by Stephen Greer: Added photos
  • June 8, 2010: New Street View added by Nathan Holth

Related Bridges 

Sources 

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Comments 

Great Egg Harbor Bay Bridge
Posted August 21, 2010, by Cliff Darby (clif30 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

Always sad to see a bridge of this age face destruction.

Great Egg Harbor Bay Bridge
Posted August 20, 2010, by Rush Wickes

This span is locally known as the Beesley's Point Bridge. As of August, 2010, it remains closed to traffic. Deterioration on the span has advanced in the past six years, making renovation of the span for a return to traffic service very costly. Indications from NJDOT suggest they will be seeking its partial demolition with the sections closest to land remaining as fishing piers.