Major Route 50 Bridge Fix To Wait Till After Summer

OCEAN CITY — Long term repairs to the failing part on the draw span of the Route 50 Bridge will take place this fall or early winter, according to State Highway Administration (SHA) officials, although no firm timetable or the scope of the potential interruptions to traffic both on the bridge and in the water have been determined.

In the wake of the July 26 failure of the Route 50 Bridge, which was stuck in the open position for about five hours at the peak time on a peak Saturday, SHA engineers determined the failure was caused by a cracked mount on the draw span’s drive shaft. The cracked mount was temporarily repaired that night and into the next morning in order to render the drawbridge serviceable and SHA officials remain confident the temporary fix will operate properly until large, long-term repairs are made.

SHA and its private sector engineering firm that maintains the bridge determined the failed mount and three others on each corner of the drawbridge would ultimately need to be replaced. Replacing and repairing the four drive shaft mounts will likely take several hours, perhaps even overnight, leaving SHA officials with a decision to make on the timing.

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