Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Do Boats Pay Toll to Lift Townsends Sea Isle Avalon Bridge ?

Townsends Inlet bridge is located between Sea Isle and Avalon.  It gets a lot of car traffic over the bridge and plenty of boat traffic under the bridge.   I've driven over this bridge, walked over it and bicycled across it.  I took a boat under it once too and that was pretty cool.  It was not a very big boat though.  It was not one of those vessels that is so tall that the bridge has to lift so the boat can get underneath.


Every so often you'll see traffic lined up on the Sea Isle side and the Avalon side.  The cars are unable to cross the bridge because the toll operator has raised it so that an especially tall boat can get underneath.  I'm not exactly sure if the boat somehow signals the toll person or if the toll person simply keeps a watchful eye out for tall vessels and opens the bridge when needed, but I can say that I have seen it lift and watch some pretty amazing boats pass right on under.



The last time I saw the bridge raise I wondered how much it costs a boater to take his or her watercraft under the bridge.  Actually, better said, I wondered how much money it costs to have the toll operator lift the bridge.


When the ship passed and the bridge closed I pulled my car up along side the toll collector to pay my crossing fee.  I asked him what the price is to raise the bridge so a boat can fit below it.   The answer was that is costs nothing to lift the bridge.  Raising the bridge is free and is a courtesy to boaters.


If you have a really tall craft and want to travel beneath the townsends inlet bridge it won't cost you anything.


Of course, that is as of the date of this article.  If they decide to start EzPass beneath bridges sometime in the future, don't blame me :-)
How About Bicycles - Do I have to Pay a Toll To Bike Across The Bridge?

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