[Update: TSTC attended the event, and the bridge looks great!]

This Thursday, May 24, at 10:30am, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will host the official grand opening of the Route 52 causeway, which connects Somers Point to Ocean City, just south of Atlantic City.

The new, 2.2 mile long bridge will have space for more than just cars, however. Once the span’s shared walkways are completely open this summer, travelers will be able to safely cross from Somers Point to Ocean City on foot or riding a bicycle. The Press of Atlantic City reports that the walkways are currently only open to Rainbow Island.

The paths will help southern New Jersey become even more pedestrian and cyclist friendly at a time when more and more cyclists and pedestrians are taking to the road. The opening of a more multi-modal bridge is especially significant, since those traveling over the new bridge and into Ocean City will enter a municipality that has adopted a complete streets resolution. The pedestrian and cyclist accommodation continues a recent trend at NJDOT of promoting more complete street project designs.

The event is public, and the group will convene at John F. Kennedy Park, 55 Broadway, Somers Point, New Jersey. From there, attendees will travel over the bridge to a ribbon cutting on the Ocean City side.