Margate Bridge Toll Is Going Up This Month…Again

The most direct route from Margate to Northfield and the Garden State Parkway will cost you more to travel beginning Tuesday, June 16.

Price on 'Downbeach Express' Is Going Up

The private company that owns the Downbeach Express, known as the Margate Bridge by locals, is raising the price per crossing by 15 cents for Express Pass customers and by 50 cents for drivers paying cash, effective June 16th.

Robert Snyder, the Chief Operating Officer of Ole Hansen and Sons Inc., the company that owns and operates the Downbeach Express, released this statement about the toll increase.

“Our patrons trust us to keep these bridges safe, open, and moving — in every season and every storm. This adjustment is what makes that possible. We are reinvesting every cent into the structures, the technology, and the environment that make the Downbeach what it is. It is the most efficient path to keeping the Express the most affordable, most reliable crossing in South Jersey.”

A Little History About the Margate Bridge

The history of the bridge dates back to 1929, when the City of Margate commissioned a toll drawbridge to be constructed from Egg Harbor Township to the city of Margate.

Before that, ferries made the trip across the back bay, or people traveled by train from the hub of Atlantic City, where a train traveled to AC from Camden.

The bridge opened during the Depression in the 1930s and quickly fell into disrepair. The initial toll of 5 cents couldn't cover the cost of upkeep and repairs.

The Hill Dredging Company purchased the bridge, and state funds were secured for repairs. The bridge reopened on July 14th,1939, with a new toll of 25 cents.

In 1964, the Margate Bridge stock was auctioned off in Federal Court. The Capaldi Family and the Hansen Family submitted the highest bid and acquired the Margate Bridge.

A Look at Toll Increases on the Downbeach Express

In 2009, drivers saw an increase of 50 cents as the toll on the Margate Bridge went from $1 a ride to $1.50.

By 2016, the price to cross the Margate Causeway had jumped to $1.75.

In 2019, the price increased to $2.00.

In 2022, the toll increased to $2.25 for those paying cash.

In 2024, the price per crossing rose by 20 cents for Express Pass customers, and by 25 cents for drivers paying cash.

As residents of Margate and regular travelers on the Downbeach Express, my family -- primarily my wife and I-- paid over $2000 in tolls on the Downbeach Express in 2025.

Downbeach Express vs NJ's Other Toll Roads & Bridges

I will give the bridge company credit for keeping the road clear and drivable in the worst weather. I don't doubt that it is expensive to maintain old bridges and a heavily traveled roadway.

But the comparisons Ole Hansen and Sons Inc. makes in its economic analysis with other New Jersey toll roads compared with the cost of the Downbeach Express seem a little overblown.

By every benchmark — frequency, magnitude, and cumulative impact — the Downbeach Express remains one of the most affordable and least frequently adjusted toll crossings in the region.

Here's one benchmark where they don't compare well.

The Garden State Parkway estimates that traveling on the highway from end to end costs drivers .02 cents per mile.

With this toll increase, the 2-mile-long Downbeach Express will cost $1 a mile or $1.50 a mile if you are paying cash.

It's a high price for a direct route.