Cost of Replacing Ventnor’s Dorset Avenue Bridge is Mindblowing

The lights controlling traffic on the Dorset Avenue bridge in and out of Ventnor Heights have been turned off this summer.

After reading Atlantic County Executive Denny Levinson's assessment of the cost to repair or replace the drawbridge -- which is broken in the down position -- it seems safe to assume that those lights will be off for a while.

The Cost of Replacing Dorset Ave Drawbridge

In a release from Atlantic County on Wednesday, Levinson addressed the issues facing the decrepit Dorset Avenue Bridge.

The bridge has only been operational in the down position lately, and Levinson says replacement parts are difficult to find. That brings us to the replacement option.

Levinson estimates that replacing the Dorset Avenue Bridge could cost between $85 million and $100 million or more.

The inconvenience of replacing the bridge might be even worse than the cost, if that's possible, according to Levinson.

"We recently replaced a bridge in Port Republic, and that cost $12 million and took two years. Replacing the Dorset Avenue Bridge would be much more involved because it is a historic bascule bridge with environmental requirements and complex electrical, mechanical, and software issues.”

 

The Problem With The Bridge

According to the County, the present issue with the bridge is a faulty programmable logic controller system.

After correcting that, replacing the entire mechanical and electrical portions of the bridge, including structural work, would be necessary.

In the meantime, larger boats traveling in the Intracoastal Waterway between Ventnor Heights and Absecon Island are unable to pass.

The County is looking for parts for the existing PLC under an emergency contract. The electrical and structural work is expected to be part of the County's 2026 capital plan.

Crews will be working this year on a short-term improvement to the bridge’s visual aesthetics with power washing, routine cleanup, and maintenance.

The Bridges of Atlantic County

Did you know that there are 194 bridges between 5 and 20+ feet that are owned and maintained by Atlantic County? 

Denny Levinson says the Dorset Avenue Bridge, built in 1929,  is one of the oldest.

“While the issues we experience can create temporary inconveniences for motorists, pedestrians and/or boaters, they pale in comparison to the inconvenience a full replacement would incur, not to mention the cost to taxpayers.”