I was an electrician for 50 years and have sent out hundreds of all kinds of single, two & three phase motors. A qualified motor shop probably can repair at least 98% of the motors that come thru their doors. They should be able to send the motor out and pay extra for emergency repair ( shop will work around the clock ) and have the motor back in place in 4 days. You would think that with several similar draw bridges like that one they would have at least one spare motor like most companies do. At my first job we had over 500 motors with at least a hundred spares sitting on shelves. Some motors might be used in 10 different places so had at least two spares for them.
@@daveyoder9231 Sure any medium to large machine shops could make one. We had 5 lathes in our 65 man maintenance shop and probably could make standard & metric shafts over 10' long and least 6" in diameter. Most shafts are not that hard to make. I was a maintenance electrician that picked up a few tricks while moonlighting in machine & tool & die shops. Made several basic 2 to 4' long shafts that had to be turned down at both ends for ball bearings and cut keyways into them.
That's right I have been in the carnival business all my life and I was the parts super for the oldest family owned carnival in America and when you lose a motor on a European and some American carnival rides it's quicker and cheaper than a new one I had a few motor shops around the country I used and the guys were great
My Wife & I were down there last weekend and JUST missed the closure by a matter of hours. We had been using the bridge multiple times to commute from our stay in Wildwood Crest to Cape May(climbed the lighthouse, ate at Lobster House, etc.) and we literally said to each other as we were leaving to go home, "Wow, this bridge looks delipidated," especially areas where the railings were horribly rusted out(I understand the salt water elements and such, just an overall observation), and then later that evening, I see the news about the bridge. Thanks for this detailed update!
I know what a pain it could be to drive up the GSP to exit 4, especially to get somewhere like the 2 mile landing/crab house, but it is what it is. I'll admit I will be sad to not get to see the drawbridge in action when the boats come through. It's another bulletpoint that gives a wildwood vacation character.
As a Marylander who’s still mourning the loss of the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year - and having driven across the Crest Bridge just 2 weeks ago - I can appreciate the impact of this on tourists & locals alike. Here’s hoping the county can quickly find the necessary machinery on eBay. (And I think this was some of your best drone footage to date, Joey. Great music, too.)
I work for a big old railroad and you would be surprised how long it can take to get some really old custom parts remanufactured. The older things get, the more important maintenance is to keep it running. Even some of the new stuff is hard to come by just because every application is slightly different and off the shelf parts get modified to fit. Hearing how old this bridge? Is it really fits that same scenario.
@@t23001 Joey knows more that's going on in the Wildwood s then anybody else . Wonder how many times somebody from the city asked him what was going on at such & such place. Local newspaper & TV should hire him part time.
We always take this bridge while staying in the Crest to travel to one of the great resturants in Cape May like the Lobster House. Not many good to great resturants anymore in the Wildwoods.
Super huge fan sir. Thanks for always keeping us up to date. Would love to meet up when I am in the Crest on Columbus Day weekend. Best of luck with your meet and greet and thanks again!
Our toll dollars are not at work. Neither are our local county tax dollars. With all the money cape may county makes, that bridge should be changing my oil, washing my windshield, and handing me a milkshake everytime I cross it. Govt is horrible at managing money.
I can clearly remember crossing that bridge back in the '80s and '90s, and people were already talking about when it was going to break down again, because I think they renovated it a bit back in the '80s. It's amazing the mechanical parts held up over 40 years, and it was just a matter of time until the bridge failed. There used to be a huge fish market on the Cape May side of the bridge called "Johnson's" or something like that. It was even bigger than the one in Cape May today. The selection of fish was something that you don't find anywhere nowadays.
Same thing happened to the Ocean City to Somers Point bridge in the 70s. Motor was rebuilt and reinstalled with several days. So, whats the problem? At least the bridge is open for the boats and unfortunately closed for emergency purposes. All the Ocean Drive bridges need replacing. Suppose a storm comes and its still broke!
Hey Mr. Contino! Great report on the bridge. Could you give us an update on the Grassy Sound fishing and crabbing pier? Read that the county put out bids for its replacement. Really miss my favorite crabbing spot.
That is a failure in itself to know you have an old bridge with parts that are not readily available and sit on it not thinking the bridge might fail one day. Now what this will cause is an increase in a toll.
It sucks, but it is better that this happens at then end of the season than in May or early June. This is why we basically ditched our old swing bridge ( circa 1927?) that dumped off in the center of town (Chincoteague Va. ). Our new bridge, though not as photogenic, is a drawbridge, and it is out of the center of the town. Unfortunately it has made beach traffic more horrible since it is on a direct path to the beach. Before, the traffic would tend to split up as folks aimed for their favorite routes to the beach...now it is on one jam packed street... but oh well. I hope that if they have to hire an engineer, he/she is wiser than the rattle brain that designed our new bridge.
Ocean Highway bridges have been a mess for years , they're all rusted out ! Whatever happened to the 10 million that disappeared under Maurice Cattarcios leadership ?
Like others have stated the bridge should have been replaced 40 years ago but the county does not want to give up the cash cow aka toll dollars if it was replaced.
Yeah…. The bridge will lean which ever way the tide goes. A few years ago the entire bridge would shutter when fire engines would go over it. All the revenue Wildwood turns stopping people for expired inspections and minor infractions they could have paid for a new bridge 30 years ago.
You should do a segment about the cog ⚙️ cape May needs to replace to turn the trestle for the seashore line to get back into cape May. That’s a story in itself.
Bobby from South Jersey. I have seen your videos before. Great job! Thank you. Question? Why is it that there are hardly any videos done for Red Oak Buffet in Wildwood? I would love to see one made for dinner there.
They announced Wednesday morning August 21, 2024 that they installed a new line shaft and back working. Only took four days and not the month or more they quoted. Guess that was a scare tactic to secure funding for planned bridge replacement.
any bridge that was still used thats closed will suffocate wildwood even more. the jersey shore boardwalks are not as crowded as they used to be reminds me of coney island downfall
It’s because of the economy. Most people from outside the area use Rio Grande Ave off the Parkway (Exit 4). This bridge connects the lower part of the Wildwoods to Cape May through. Lower Twp. It’s closing would have little to no impact on the boardwalk or Wildwood itself.
I actually would have to disagree with your statement here. These past four years have been the busiest the Wildwood have been since the early 90s. Everything so expensive around the world, including travel more families have made their way back to these barrier islands.
I actually would have to disagree with your statement here. These past four years have been the busiest the Wildwood have been since the early 90s. With everything so expensive around the world, including travel more families have made their way back to these barrier islands.
This probably wouldn't have happened if inspections both mechanically and structurally were conducted every 5 - 10 years... repairs/replacement made as needed no matter how minor or major... this is why I don't understand why elected township/county officials could allow it to become a major issue... and also why I sympathize and agree with those who comment about their tax dollars not being put to use * because lets face it small issues can eventually become major problems especially with time and neglect
You’re 1000% wrong, the government did in fact clearly fail the taxpayers. The plans to build a new bridge should have been done decades ago and to act like just because they’re finally planning to build a new bridge that means they’re doing their job is ridiculous.
I'll be honest with you. I haven't been to Wildwood in 8 years because my fiance's cell phone got stolen there that had my stepdaughter's baby pictures on it. We have no interest in going there anymore but I still watch your videos. Would have definitely had come to the meet and greet but we are going to Rehoboth Beach that weekend. Love watching your videos! 🥰
Hi Joey, quick question, will we be able ti get to the thunder cat? Is there an alternate route to get to Cape May? Thank you, I love your channel, always makes me smile!
Hey, I hope that your day is going great. Thank you so much for being a fan. Yes, you could still get the Thundercat. I actually show the sign heading towards there in the video. The alternative to Cape May would be to leave through Wildwood or Wildwood.
I wonder if they could manually lower the bridge and keep it down until a part can be found? If that was possible would the fishing fleet have another option for getting out to the ocean?
It's too bad that there isn't someone who can recreate those parts? I know 3D printing is only talked about in SCi-Fi, but there does seem to people out there with CNC machines making one off parts. Hmmm too bad someone doesn't "know a guy" 😁
Start the replacement sooner, why throw money into fabrication of expensive parts that will only be demolished in the next two or three years. And please add a bike lane!
Gee, my opinion would have been better to keep it down. Alot more funds lost from all businesses connected to the bridge. It will be at least a year before it reopens.
I was an electrician for 50 years and have sent out hundreds of all kinds of single, two & three phase motors. A qualified motor shop probably can repair at least 98% of the motors that come thru their doors. They should be able to send the motor out and pay extra for emergency repair ( shop will work around the clock ) and have the motor back in place in 4 days. You would think that with several similar draw bridges like that one they would have at least one spare motor like most companies do. At my first job we had over 500 motors with at least a hundred spares sitting on shelves. Some motors might be used in 10 different places so had at least two spares for them.
You would think that having replaced the Great Egg Harbor Inlet bridge with a fixed span, they would have some spare parts laying about.
I agree with you about the motor, BUT the issue is apparently the drive shaft. That is what the Bridge Commission is searching for.
@@daveyoder9231 Sure any medium to large machine shops could make one. We had 5 lathes in our 65 man maintenance shop and probably could make standard & metric shafts over 10' long and least 6" in diameter. Most shafts are not that hard to make. I was a maintenance electrician that picked up a few tricks while moonlighting in machine & tool & die shops. Made several basic 2 to 4' long shafts that had to be turned down at both ends for ball bearings and cut keyways into them.
BINGO! Just remove the motor and turn it over to a company with rebuild/rewind experience.
That's right I have been in the carnival business all my life and I was the parts super for the oldest family owned carnival in America and when you lose a motor on a European and some American carnival rides it's quicker and cheaper than a new one I had a few motor shops around the country I used and the guys were great
My Wife & I were down there last weekend and JUST missed the closure by a matter of hours. We had been using the bridge multiple times to commute from our stay in Wildwood Crest to Cape May(climbed the lighthouse, ate at Lobster House, etc.) and we literally said to each other as we were leaving to go home, "Wow, this bridge looks delipidated," especially areas where the railings were horribly rusted out(I understand the salt water elements and such, just an overall observation), and then later that evening, I see the news about the bridge. Thanks for this detailed update!
I know what a pain it could be to drive up the GSP to exit 4, especially to get somewhere like the 2 mile landing/crab house, but it is what it is. I'll admit I will be sad to not get to see the drawbridge in action when the boats come through. It's another bulletpoint that gives a wildwood vacation character.
Thanks for the update Joey. Always enjoy your reporting. 👍
Hey! Funny enough, the bridge is open now
As a Marylander who’s still mourning the loss of the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year - and having driven across the Crest Bridge just 2 weeks ago - I can appreciate the impact of this on tourists & locals alike. Here’s hoping the county can quickly find the necessary machinery on eBay. (And I think this was some of your best drone footage to date, Joey. Great music, too.)
It's been fixed also sorry for your loss 💔
Thanks. We’re adjusting. Hearing that the replacement is another step closer to full federal funding helps.
I would love to see video footage of the motor room and the mechanical workings.
Tee, hee. This will be resisted because they will get too many folks pointing out what they should be doing.
I work for a big old railroad and you would be surprised how long it can take to get some really old custom parts remanufactured. The older things get, the more important maintenance is to keep it running. Even some of the new stuff is hard to come by just because every application is slightly different and off the shelf parts get modified to fit. Hearing how old this bridge? Is it really fits that same scenario.
They were supposed to build a new bridge 20 years ago. Joey great coverage.
So glad we use the Rio grande.cant wait to meet you Joey 👍🙏♥️⛵🌊🦈🇺🇸
Oh boy Joey hope that bridge gets fixed soon
Once again, Mr. Contino's news reports are more timely, accurate, and detailed than other sources.
Thank you so much. I greatly appreciate it.
@@t23001 Joey knows more that's going on in the Wildwood s then anybody else . Wonder how many times somebody from the city asked him what was going on at such & such place. Local newspaper & TV should hire him part time.
@JohnThomas-lq5qp it is a daily thing. Haha
We always take this bridge while staying in the Crest to travel to one of the great resturants in Cape May like the Lobster House. Not many good to great resturants anymore in the Wildwoods.
Nino’s is bangin! I can give you a list of every legit eatery in the wildwoods
That bridge should've been replaced 40 years ago.
I'll be down in Wildwood Crest next week and always bounce back and forth to Cape May. Thank you for the heads up. We will have to do better planning.
And it’s crucial for the meet & greet this Sunday as well.
Super huge fan sir. Thanks for always keeping us up to date. Would love to meet up when I am in the Crest on Columbus Day weekend.
Best of luck with your meet and greet and thanks again!
An extremely informative & interesting piece. Nicely interwoven w/ the tuneage as well. Thx for sharing ;- ]
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad you found the piece informative and enjoyed the music as well.
Good story and thanks for sharing.
Our toll dollars are not at work. Neither are our local county tax dollars. With all the money cape may county makes, that bridge should be changing my oil, washing my windshield, and handing me a milkshake everytime I cross it. Govt is horrible at managing money.
Bridge is already fixed as of Wednesday at 5:30PM…
I can clearly remember crossing that bridge back in the '80s and '90s, and people were already talking about when it was going to break down again, because I think they renovated it a bit back in the '80s. It's amazing the mechanical parts held up over 40 years, and it was just a matter of time until the bridge failed. There used to be a huge fish market on the Cape May side of the bridge called "Johnson's" or something like that. It was even bigger than the one in Cape May today. The selection of fish was something that you don't find anywhere nowadays.
Axleson & Johnson’s
Same thing happened to the Ocean City to Somers Point bridge in the 70s. Motor was rebuilt and reinstalled with several days. So, whats the problem? At least the bridge is open for the boats and unfortunately closed for emergency purposes. All the Ocean Drive bridges need replacing. Suppose a storm comes and its still broke!
Bridge is open and fully functional.
Hey Mr. Contino! Great report on the bridge. Could you give us an update on the Grassy Sound fishing and crabbing pier? Read that the county put out bids for its replacement. Really miss my favorite crabbing spot.
That is a failure in itself to know you have an old bridge with parts that are not readily available and sit on it not thinking the bridge might fail one day. Now what this will cause is an increase in a toll.
It sucks, but it is better that this happens at then end of the season than in May or early June. This is why we basically ditched our old swing bridge ( circa 1927?) that dumped off in the center of town (Chincoteague Va. ). Our new bridge, though not as photogenic, is a drawbridge, and it is out of the center of the town. Unfortunately it has made beach traffic more horrible since it is on a direct path to the beach. Before, the traffic would tend to split up as folks aimed for their favorite routes to the beach...now it is on one jam packed street... but oh well. I hope that if they have to hire an engineer, he/she is wiser than the rattle brain that designed our new bridge.
Ocean Highway bridges have been a mess for years , they're all rusted out ! Whatever happened to the 10 million that disappeared under Maurice Cattarcios leadership ?
We always go to Sunset Beach when we're in Wildwood, so we hope it's open in May! 😊
The bridge is listed as temporarily closed on Google Maps
Like others have stated the bridge should have been replaced 40 years ago but the county does not want to give up the cash cow aka toll dollars if it was replaced.
Yeah…. The bridge will lean which ever way the tide goes.
A few years ago the entire bridge would shutter when fire engines would go over it.
All the revenue Wildwood turns stopping people for expired inspections and minor infractions they could have paid for a new bridge 30 years ago.
You should do a segment about the cog ⚙️ cape May needs to replace to turn the trestle for the seashore line to get back into cape May. That’s a story in itself.
Bobby from South Jersey. I have seen your videos before. Great job! Thank you. Question? Why is it that there are hardly any videos done for Red Oak Buffet in Wildwood? I would love to see one made for dinner there.
Joey - we need a t shirt with the open bridge with a seagull with a French fry in its mouth on top of it
They announced Wednesday morning August 21, 2024 that they installed a new line shaft and back working. Only took four days and not the month or more they quoted. Guess that was a scare tactic to secure funding for planned bridge replacement.
Great report brother!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you
Question... When a boat needs to pass through the bridge did they have to pay a few to raise the bridge? If so.... Do they still have to pay it? Lol
5:43. Why don't we cross that bridge when we come to it?
Just saw that its back in operation?
Google maps looks like they are now showing the bridge as temporarily closed
Good to hear
No preventative maintenance and no critical spares. Typical.
...anyone who drives a 1974 Dodge Monaco, will have no problem getting over that Bridge
This is what happens when towns don't update infrastructure and wasted money on favors
I don’t think you watched the video fully. A new bridge is coming.
The Bridge is now open and operational again as of today Wednesday morning
Correct
When a bridge is closed yet open.
Haha yes
government should impose terms on both sides to lower that bridge.
I'm wondering if a crane motor would be a good solution?
any bridge that was still used thats closed will suffocate wildwood even more. the jersey shore boardwalks are not as crowded as they used to be reminds me of coney island downfall
It’s because of the economy. Most people from outside the area use Rio Grande Ave off the Parkway (Exit 4). This bridge connects the lower part of the Wildwoods to Cape May through. Lower Twp. It’s closing would have little to no impact on the boardwalk or Wildwood itself.
I actually would have to disagree with your statement here. These past four years have been the busiest the Wildwood have been since the early 90s. Everything so expensive around the world, including travel more families have made their way back to these barrier islands.
I actually would have to disagree with your statement here. These past four years have been the busiest the Wildwood have been since the early 90s. With everything so expensive around the world, including travel more families have made their way back to these barrier islands.
I was told the bridge is partially private owned ,this true.? Few people have told me this..
It’s owned by the cape May bridge commission. Not by the state
I glad they can get it foxed.
This probably wouldn't have happened if inspections both mechanically and structurally were conducted every 5 - 10 years... repairs/replacement made as needed no matter how minor or major... this is why I don't understand why elected township/county officials could allow it to become a major issue... and also why I sympathize and agree with those who comment about their tax dollars not being put to use
* because lets face it small issues can eventually become major problems especially with time and neglect
Google map shows the road closed now.
Joey, is this the same span where a car nearly wrecked a few years back when the deck didn't close fully and a car drove over the gap?
Yes! The operator didn’t see the car on the bridge
I highly believe a in lawsuit from that probably caused the bridge project to be delayed
bridge is now fixed and open
You’re 1000% wrong, the government did in fact clearly fail the taxpayers. The plans to build a new bridge should have been done decades ago and to act like just because they’re finally planning to build a new bridge that means they’re doing their job is ridiculous.
What state.?
New Jersey
I'll be honest with you. I haven't been to Wildwood in 8 years because my fiance's cell phone got stolen there that had my stepdaughter's baby pictures on it. We have no interest in going there anymore but I still watch your videos. Would have definitely had come to the meet and greet but we are going to Rehoboth Beach that weekend. Love watching your videos! 🥰
Have a great time in Rehoboth Beach. I appreciate the support.
Get your phone lifted over here, over there get your hair sniffed. Wild times at the shore.😂
Great choice. It's been years for me too , and I have a friend with a house in north wildwood . Too many people . Delaware Beachs are fantastic.
The motor has been repaired and the bridge has reopened to vehicle traffic
Correct - wildwoodvideoarchive.com/the-middle-thorofore-bridge-is-now-open-after-repairs/
For those new to this channel, you might want to tell us where Wildwood is.
New Jersey
Yeah, no tourist business the last two months of summer
Oh no!
Coast Guard has a say about this to
That bridge isn't "closed". It's "open". LOL
hahaha surely so
Out dated, I remember the wooden bridge😂
Unreal
It’s already open again lol
imagine that another one?
The bridge is open
Correct. We broke the news this morning at 2am lol
Very bad hurricane seasons
No motorcycle rides over the bridge any day soon 😠
Government efficiency: spare parts, who needs those🤡
time steal parts off of the corson's inlet bridge.
haha :-)
Hi Joey, quick question, will we be able ti get to the thunder cat? Is there an alternate route to get to Cape May?
Thank you, I love your channel, always makes me smile!
Hey, I hope that your day is going great. Thank you so much for being a fan. Yes, you could still get the Thundercat. I actually show the sign heading towards there in the video. The alternative to Cape May would be to leave through Wildwood or Wildwood.
see what happens when you don't upkeep
They just put a decent amount of money into this bridge last year
@@WildwoodVideoArchive into the bridge or someones pockets ?
I wonder if they could manually lower the bridge and keep it down until a part can be found? If that was possible would the fishing fleet have another option for getting out to the ocean?
He mentioned the fishery behind the bridge, Close the bridge and they are out of business.
Bo and Luke would make it
Just use the Parkway, not really a big deal.
it is a big deal for local businesses who are now cut off from getting business from people using this route.
@@WildwoodVideoArchive either way you can get to it , an inconvinence Joey, but, that bridge has been closed before.
It's too bad that there isn't someone who can recreate those parts? I know 3D printing is only talked about in SCi-Fi, but there does seem to people out there with CNC machines making one off parts. Hmmm too bad someone doesn't "know a guy" 😁
@@matthewtorchiana6418 that’s just for making ghost guns..
Joey classic car show September 20🎉
Oooooh Nooooo 😱
If you really want to get to Wildwood Crest couldn’t you just “Dukes of Hazzard” over it? 😂😂😂😂😂😂
build a fixed span
Start the replacement sooner, why throw money into fabrication of expensive parts that will only be demolished in the next two or three years. And please add a bike lane!
there is a whole bid process that has to be done. When government contracts are presented there is a certain why it has to be done
🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮. TYPICAL…TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE!!!
Nope, all fixed, video is obsolete
ask ulraime for a loan😂
This is the town that Trump 👺💩said hosted 107,000 in his rally.🤣
OLD DON IS INSANE.
No, you Marxists are.😂
Gee, my opinion would have been better to keep it down. Alot more funds lost from all businesses connected to the bridge. It will be at least a year before it reopens.
At $2.25 I think the bridge toll might be the biggest business effected.
Probally 😂@@SJoiseyKid
What info do you have that would indicate it will take a year to repair that motor?
@@SJoiseyKidit's actually $2.50
@@SJoiseyKid Geez. I thought it was $2.50. What a bargain. Lol
Bummer it happened in hurricane season !
Hope y'all don't get a bad blow up yonder !
The good news about hurricanes is that we can prepare for them