State Takes Control: Ocean City Can No Longer Freely Change Bridge Light Colors

For years, the colorful accent lights under the Route 52 Causeway, 9th Street Bridge, have served as a beloved beacon for Ocean City. The city changed the hues to celebrate holidays, support local sports teams, or honor solemn events. But that era of local control has come to an end following a recent state decision.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has reclaimed exclusive control over the lighting system on the Howard S. Stainton Memorial Causeway, Route 52, which connects Somers Point with Ocean City at 9th Street.

This change comes immediately after the completion of a $2.9 million state-funded “Accent Lighting Rehabilitation” project. The project replaced and upgraded the lighting infrastructure on the state-owned bridge. With the new system in place, the NJDOT has “locked out” the city from its previous ability to change the colors at will.

According to recent reports, Ocean City officials must now formally request any color changes from the NJDOT. These requests are not for immediate changes; they must be submitted at least two weeks in advance, or by the 15th day of the previous month, to be considered.

This new, bureaucratic process effectively ends the city’s tradition of spontaneous light displays. In the past, Ocean City had used the lights as a dynamic community billboard:

• The bridge was lit blue and yellow in a powerful show of solidarity with Ukraine.
• The lights shone Eagles green to celebrate the Super Bowl wins.
• They were changed to red and white for the Ocean City High School Raiders.
• In 2016, the bridge was illuminated with rainbow colors to mourn and honor the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Under the new NJDOT policy, such immediate responses to breaking news or community events are no longer possible. A sudden championship win for a local or professional team, for example, could not be celebrated with lights until weeks later, long after the excitement has passed.

While the bridge’s lights will continue to shine, the control over their color now rests firmly with the state, not the city that used them to famously welcome visitors and celebrate the community. No wonder there is no good way to the South Jersey Shore from Trenton.