Photo: Staib, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A $1.6 million emergency job is removing a sandbar under the Townsends Inlet Bridge so boats can pass safely between the bay and ocean.
The short version
Boaters heading in and out of Townsends Inlet, between Sea Isle City and Avalon, should soon have an easier trip. Emergency dredging of the inlet began on Oct. 29, Sea Isle Mayor Leonard Desiderio said in his weekly message.
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The problem
Starting last spring, a large sandbar built up in the channel under the Townsends Inlet Bridge. Officials called it an imminent threat to commercial, charter and recreational boats using the inlet to get between the bay and the ocean.
The fix
The project will dredge a channel about 200 feet wide and 20 feet deep, Sea Isle News reported. The timing worked out because Avalon's beach replenishment was already underway, and its sand source is right near the clogged channel.
Who pays
The total cost is $1.6 million. On Oct. 13, Sea Isle City Council voted unanimously to approve an agreement with Avalon. Each town is contributing $650,000, Cape May County is adding $250,000, and the Cape May County Bridge Commission is covering $50,000.
When
In his Oct. 29 message, the mayor said it should be done within about a week.
Also in Sea Isle
The city administration will present its proposed five-year capital plan at a public City Council workshop on Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. The goal is for council to adopt the plan by the end of the year.
Why it matters
Townsends Inlet is the main way in and out for boats from Sea Isle and Avalon, including the charter and commercial fleets that work out of both towns. A clogged channel under the bridge is a safety problem as well as a hassle. Once the sandbar is cleared, boats can run the inlet with less worry about the tide.
The sand being dredged comes from the same area Avalon uses for its beach work, so the project helps both the channel and the beaches.
Sea Isle News, Oct. 13, 2026. Read the original.
Details can change; check the source for official dates and decisions.
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Photo: Staib, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Townsends Inlet Bridge. Source; licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. This post summarizes public information for convenience. It isn't official notice; please rely on the original source for dates, rules and decisions. Jim Murray, REALTOR® · Keller Williams Jersey Shore · Each office independently owned and operated.
Ocean City · Nov. 1, 2026
Ocean City · Nov. 1, 2026
Ocean City · Nov. 1, 2026