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Ocean Drive (New Jersey)
Encyclopedia
Ocean Drive is a series of local roads in southern New Jersey
, connecting Atlantic City to Cape May along barrier island
s on the Atlantic Ocean
. It consists of several roads and includes five of the six toll bridge
s owned by the Cape May County Bridge Commission.
Ocean Drive begins in Cape May Point
, and its southern terminus is split among two separate roads. One branch of Ocean Drive begins on Sunset Boulevard (County Route 606) at its dead end and travels for 0.5 miles. The second branch of Ocean Drive begins on Cape Avenue (County Route 651) at Lincoln Avenue, and travels for 0.7 miles. The two branches meet at an intersection, and Ocean Drive continues along CR 606 into the City of Cape May
. At the end of CR 606, Ocean Drive turns south along Broadway (CR 626), then heads east along Beach Avenue (CR 604). Ocean Drive travels along the coast to Pittsburg Avenue (CR 622), and heads north along to CR 622 to its terminus at Lafayette Street (NJ 109), and continues north again.
It crosses the Cape May Canal
into Lower Township
and makes a right turn onto County Route 621. It then crosses over the Middle Thorofare Bridge (toll) and continues north into Wildwood Crest
. Ocean Drive follows CR 621 through the length of The Wildwoods
, passing through Wildwood Crest, Wildwood
(where it intersects New Jersey Route 47), and finally continuing into North Wildwood
. In North Wildwood, CR 621 ends and Ocean Drive follows New Jersey Route 147
into Middle Township
.
It then turns right onto County Route 619 and crosses over the Grassy Sound Bridge (toll) and then the Stone Harbor Bridge into Stone Harbor
. Ocean Drive follows CR 619 north through Stone Harbor's 3rd Avenue and into Avalon
on Ocean Drive (at 80th St. 3rd Avenue Turns Into Ocean Drive). It then crosses over the Townsends Inlet Bridge (toll) and continues north through Sea Isle City
. It then heads through the Strathmere
section of Upper Township
before crossing the Corson's Inlet Bridge (toll) into Ocean City
.
Ocean Drive continues to follow CR 619 north through Ocean City before meeting County Route 623. It then follows CR 623 for several blocks to the northwest on 34th Street before following County Route 656 (Bay Avenue) through downtown Ocean City, where it crosses 9th Street, which provides access to New Jersey Route 52
. Ocean Drive then crosses the tolled Ocean City-Longport Bridge over the Great Egg Harbor Bay
into Egg Harbor Township
, Atlantic County
.
Upon entering Atlantic County, Ocean Drive follows the northern approach of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge to New Jersey Route 152. It then makes a right turn on NJ 152 and follows it to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway
into Longport
. Ocean Drive then heads north on Atlantic Avenue through Longport, Margate City
and Ventnor City
. Atlantic Avenue continues into Atlantic City, and Ocean Drive terminates at the end of Atlantic Avenue in Uptown Atlantic City at N Maine Avenue.
. In 1940, several of the bridges comprising Ocean Drive were built, including the Middle Thorofare Bridge, Grassy Sound Bridge, and Townsends Inlet Bridge. In 1946, the Corsons Inlet Bridge was built and the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, built in 1927, was purchased by the commission, completing the link for the barrier islands between Cape May and Atlantic City.
Along its route, the Ocean Drive followed mostly local roads. The exception was the portion across the Cape May Canal between Cape May Canal and Lower Township, which was initially part of US 9 and Route 4 before becoming US 9 only in 1953 and then Route 109 in the 1970s. By the 1950s and 1960s, most of the remainder of Ocean Drive became part of several county routes. The route between Sunset Beach and Cape May became CR 6 while the spur into Cape May Point became CR 51. Within Cape May, Ocean Drive became CR 26, CR 4, and CR 22 before it joined US 9. Past US 9, it became CR 21 and part of CR 585
before heading through Wildwood Crest and Wildwood along Atlantic Avenue. In North Wildwood, the route became CR 7/CR 585 before turning north into Middle Township and following CR 18/CR 585. Ocean Drive turned north and followed CR 30 through Stone Harbor and Avalon and CR 19 through Sea Isle City and into Ocean City. In Ocean City, Ocean Drive continued north from CR 19 onto Wesley Avenue and Gardens Parkway. Continuing into Atlantic County, the route headed east on CR 20 and entered Longport, where it became CR 29 through Longport, Margate City, and into Ventnor City. North of the Dorset Avenue intersection, Ocean Drive was locally maintained. In 1969, the CR 20 portion of Ocean Drive in Atlantic County became Route 152 and in 1971, the portion of Ocean Drive leading into North Wildwood became a part of Route 147
. CR 585 was later removed from Ocean Drive and the remaining county routes in Cape May and Atlantic County were given numbers in the 600-series. As a result, CR 6 became CR 606, CR 51 became CR 651, CR 26 became CR 626, CR 4 became CR 604, CR 22 became CR 622, CR 21 and CR 7 became CR 621, CR 30 and CR 19 became CR 619 in Cape May County. In Atlantic County, CR 29 became CR 629. In addition, Ocean Drive was modified to use CR 621 through the entirety of The Wildwoods and CR 656 (former CR 56) through the northern part of Ocean City.
Over the years, several of the bridges along Ocean Drive have been reconstructed. In the late 1940s, the Ocean City-Longport Bridge was reconstructed due to poor maintenance from the earlier owner. In 1993, it was determined this bridge needed to be replaced, with the new bridge opened in 2002. A portion of the old bridge became a fishing pier. In 1998, bonds were issued for improvements to all of the bridges owned by the commission. Bonds were issued in 2005 for construction projects on the Townsends Inlet Bridge and Corsons Inlet Bridge.
The five toll bridges currently charge $1.50 for cars. In addition, a pack of 50 tickets may be purchased for $60, with one ticket charged at each toll plaza. The Middle Thorofare, Townsends Inlet, and Ocean City-Longport bridges have tolls in the southbound direction while the Grassy Sound and Corsons Inlet bridges have northbound tolls.
|-
|colspan=5 align="center"|Middle Thorofare Bridge
|-
|-
|colspan=5 align="center"|Grassy Sound Bridge
|-
|-
|rowspan=2 colspan=5 align="center"|Townsends Inlet Bridge
|-
|rowspan=2|Sea Isle City
|-
|-
|colspan=5 align="center"|Corsons Inlet Bridge
|-
|-
|rowspan=2|4.92
0.00
|rowspan=2 colspan=5 align="center"|Ocean City-Longport Bridge
|-
|rowspan=8|Atlantic
|rowspan=3|Egg Harbor Township
|-
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, connecting Atlantic City to Cape May along barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It consists of several roads and includes five of the six toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
s owned by the Cape May County Bridge Commission.
Cape May Point to Strathmere
Cape May Point, New Jersey
Cape May Point is a borough located at the tip of the Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the resident population was 291...
, and its southern terminus is split among two separate roads. One branch of Ocean Drive begins on Sunset Boulevard (County Route 606) at its dead end and travels for 0.5 miles. The second branch of Ocean Drive begins on Cape Avenue (County Route 651) at Lincoln Avenue, and travels for 0.7 miles. The two branches meet at an intersection, and Ocean Drive continues along CR 606 into the City of Cape May
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
. At the end of CR 606, Ocean Drive turns south along Broadway (CR 626), then heads east along Beach Avenue (CR 604). Ocean Drive travels along the coast to Pittsburg Avenue (CR 622), and heads north along to CR 622 to its terminus at Lafayette Street (NJ 109), and continues north again.
It crosses the Cape May Canal
Cape May Canal
The Cape May Canal is a waterway that stretches nearly three miles from Cape May Harbor to the Delaware Bay, at the southern tip of Cape May County, New Jersey. The canal was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War II to provide a protected route to avoid German...
into Lower Township
Lower Township, New Jersey
Lower Township is a township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 22,945....
and makes a right turn onto County Route 621. It then crosses over the Middle Thorofare Bridge (toll) and continues north into Wildwood Crest
Wildwood Crest, New Jersey
Wildwood Crest is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 3,980....
. Ocean Drive follows CR 621 through the length of The Wildwoods
The Wildwoods
The Wildwoods are a group of five municipalities in Cape May County, New Jersey, all of which are situated on the Island of Five Mile Beach, a barrier island facing the Atlantic Ocean...
, passing through Wildwood Crest, Wildwood
Wildwood, New Jersey
Wildwood is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a popular summer resort destination. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's year-round population was 5,325...
(where it intersects New Jersey Route 47), and finally continuing into North Wildwood
North Wildwood, New Jersey
North Wildwood is a city located on the Jersey Shore in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. 4,935 residents were counted during the United States 2000 Census...
. In North Wildwood, CR 621 ends and Ocean Drive follows New Jersey Route 147
New Jersey Route 147
Route 147 is a state highway located in Cape May County in New Jersey, United States. It is a short connector between U.S. Route 9 in Middle Township and North Wildwood at New York Avenue. West of U.S. Route 9, the road continues to Route 47 as County Route 618 ; this route along with Route 147...
into Middle Township
Middle Township, New Jersey
Middle Township is a township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 16,405....
.
It then turns right onto County Route 619 and crosses over the Grassy Sound Bridge (toll) and then the Stone Harbor Bridge into Stone Harbor
Stone Harbor, New Jersey
Stone Harbor is a borough in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. It shares the barrier island Seven Mile Island with its northern neighbor Avalon...
. Ocean Drive follows CR 619 north through Stone Harbor's 3rd Avenue and into Avalon
Avalon, New Jersey
As of April 2009, the average home sales price in Avalon was $1,567,662 .As of the census of 2000, there were 2,143 people, 1,045 households, and 668 families residing in the borough. The population density was 508.4 people per square mile...
on Ocean Drive (at 80th St. 3rd Avenue Turns Into Ocean Drive). It then crosses over the Townsends Inlet Bridge (toll) and continues north through Sea Isle City
Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...
. It then heads through the Strathmere
Strathmere, New Jersey
Strathmere is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Upper Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 175....
section of Upper Township
Upper Township, New Jersey
Upper Township is a large township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. The township population was 12,115 as of the United States 2000 Census...
before crossing the Corson's Inlet Bridge (toll) into Ocean City
Ocean City, New Jersey
Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is the principal city of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Cape May County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 11,701...
.
Ocean City to Atlantic City
New Jersey Route 52
Route 52 is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway runs from Palen Avenue in Ocean City, Cape May County north to U.S. Route 9 in Somers Point, Atlantic County. It is composed mostly of a series of four-lane undivided bridges over Great Egg Harbor Bay...
. Ocean Drive then crosses the tolled Ocean City-Longport Bridge over the Great Egg Harbor Bay
Great Egg Harbor Bay
Great Egg Harbor Bay is a major bay located on the southern New Jersey coast, specifically in Atlantic and Cape May counties. The Great Egg Harbor River empties into the bay....
into Egg Harbor Township
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 43,323, a growth of more than 40% since the previous enumeration....
, Atlantic County
Atlantic County, New Jersey
-National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
.
Upon entering Atlantic County, Ocean Drive follows the northern approach of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge to New Jersey Route 152. It then makes a right turn on NJ 152 and follows it to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
into Longport
Longport, New Jersey
Longport is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean shore of Absecon Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 895....
. Ocean Drive then heads north on Atlantic Avenue through Longport, Margate City
Margate City, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 6,354.Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor...
and Ventnor City
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
. Atlantic Avenue continues into Atlantic City, and Ocean Drive terminates at the end of Atlantic Avenue in Uptown Atlantic City at N Maine Avenue.
History
The Cape May County Bridge Commission was created by the county in 1934 in order to build a series of toll bridges linking the coastal communities of Cape May County. With the creation of this agency, the bridges were to receive federal funding through the New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
. In 1940, several of the bridges comprising Ocean Drive were built, including the Middle Thorofare Bridge, Grassy Sound Bridge, and Townsends Inlet Bridge. In 1946, the Corsons Inlet Bridge was built and the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, built in 1927, was purchased by the commission, completing the link for the barrier islands between Cape May and Atlantic City.
Along its route, the Ocean Drive followed mostly local roads. The exception was the portion across the Cape May Canal between Cape May Canal and Lower Township, which was initially part of US 9 and Route 4 before becoming US 9 only in 1953 and then Route 109 in the 1970s. By the 1950s and 1960s, most of the remainder of Ocean Drive became part of several county routes. The route between Sunset Beach and Cape May became CR 6 while the spur into Cape May Point became CR 51. Within Cape May, Ocean Drive became CR 26, CR 4, and CR 22 before it joined US 9. Past US 9, it became CR 21 and part of CR 585
County Route 585 (New Jersey)
County Route 585, abbreviated CR 585, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from MacArthur Boulevard in Somers Point to Absecon Boulevard in Absecon.- Route description :...
before heading through Wildwood Crest and Wildwood along Atlantic Avenue. In North Wildwood, the route became CR 7/CR 585 before turning north into Middle Township and following CR 18/CR 585. Ocean Drive turned north and followed CR 30 through Stone Harbor and Avalon and CR 19 through Sea Isle City and into Ocean City. In Ocean City, Ocean Drive continued north from CR 19 onto Wesley Avenue and Gardens Parkway. Continuing into Atlantic County, the route headed east on CR 20 and entered Longport, where it became CR 29 through Longport, Margate City, and into Ventnor City. North of the Dorset Avenue intersection, Ocean Drive was locally maintained. In 1969, the CR 20 portion of Ocean Drive in Atlantic County became Route 152 and in 1971, the portion of Ocean Drive leading into North Wildwood became a part of Route 147
New Jersey Route 147
Route 147 is a state highway located in Cape May County in New Jersey, United States. It is a short connector between U.S. Route 9 in Middle Township and North Wildwood at New York Avenue. West of U.S. Route 9, the road continues to Route 47 as County Route 618 ; this route along with Route 147...
. CR 585 was later removed from Ocean Drive and the remaining county routes in Cape May and Atlantic County were given numbers in the 600-series. As a result, CR 6 became CR 606, CR 51 became CR 651, CR 26 became CR 626, CR 4 became CR 604, CR 22 became CR 622, CR 21 and CR 7 became CR 621, CR 30 and CR 19 became CR 619 in Cape May County. In Atlantic County, CR 29 became CR 629. In addition, Ocean Drive was modified to use CR 621 through the entirety of The Wildwoods and CR 656 (former CR 56) through the northern part of Ocean City.
Over the years, several of the bridges along Ocean Drive have been reconstructed. In the late 1940s, the Ocean City-Longport Bridge was reconstructed due to poor maintenance from the earlier owner. In 1993, it was determined this bridge needed to be replaced, with the new bridge opened in 2002. A portion of the old bridge became a fishing pier. In 1998, bonds were issued for improvements to all of the bridges owned by the commission. Bonds were issued in 2005 for construction projects on the Townsends Inlet Bridge and Corsons Inlet Bridge.
Tolls
When the Ocean Drive bridges were first built, the toll for cars was 25 cents, charged in both directions at the Middle Thorofare, Grassy Sound, Townsends Inlet, Corsons Inlet, and Ocean City-Longport bridges. Toll hikes occurred in 1978, 1984, and 1988 in order to fund construction projects to the bridges. Following the rebuilding of the Ocean City-Longport Bridge in 2002, that bridge was converted to one way tolling, with a $1 toll charged to cars in the southbound direction. The other bridges would be converted to one way tolling by 2005.The five toll bridges currently charge $1.50 for cars. In addition, a pack of 50 tickets may be purchased for $60, with one ticket charged at each toll plaza. The Middle Thorofare, Townsends Inlet, and Ocean City-Longport bridges have tolls in the southbound direction while the Grassy Sound and Corsons Inlet bridges have northbound tolls.
Major intersections
The mileposts correspond to the routes that Ocean Drive follows.|-
|colspan=5 align="center"|Middle Thorofare Bridge
|-
|-
|colspan=5 align="center"|Grassy Sound Bridge
|-
|-
|rowspan=2 colspan=5 align="center"|Townsends Inlet Bridge
|-
|rowspan=2|Sea Isle City
Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...
|-
|-
|colspan=5 align="center"|Corsons Inlet Bridge
|-
|-
|rowspan=2|4.92
0.00
|rowspan=2 colspan=5 align="center"|Ocean City-Longport Bridge
|-
|rowspan=8|Atlantic
Atlantic County, New Jersey
-National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
|rowspan=3|Egg Harbor Township
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 43,323, a growth of more than 40% since the previous enumeration....
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