It Should Be An E-Z Transition

Posted November 18th 2024

It’s no joke: On or about April 1, the Ocean Drive bridges will no longer accept cash, coins or tickets for crossing all bridges, including the Townsends Inlet and Grassy Sound bridges here on the Seven Mile Beach.

Like many highway systems and bridges, they will be switching to a cashless payment system. In case you weren’t aware, the Atlantic City Expressway is expected to do the same by the summer of 2025. According to the Cape May County Bridge Commission, approximately 90% of the drivers currently using the bridges already utilize the E-ZPass system, which the bridges added in 2018. After the spring conversion, if you don’t have E-ZPass, the system currently in place will take a photo of your license plate and mail an invoice to the owner of the vehicle. You’ll have 30 days to make payment.

Current toll collectors are expected to be reassigned as bridge tenders – the person charged with opening the spans for passing boats, as required by the U.S. Coast Guard on a 24/7 basis – so obviously that aspect won’t be affected by this system change. The county is expected to announce a “buy back” program for any commuter tickets that still exist.