Reopening of South Jersey bridge delayed once again

AVALON  (AP) — The reopening of a major bridge in South Jersey has been delayed for at least another week.

Officials initially had hoped that the Townsend Inlet Bridge, which links Avalon and Sea Isle City, would be back in service by Memorial Day. But unexpected setbacks have delayed the $4.4 million project to repair the support beams on the bridge's movable span.

The bridge has been closed since Jan. 12, making this the third consecutive winter the span was shuttered.

With the bridge out of commission, drivers have had to use the Garden State Parkway to travel between the Jersey Shore towns. The detour has added up to 10 miles to the usually short journey.

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