Wildwoods boardwalk damaged after heavy truck breaks through boards

✅ The flatbed tow truck was on a job for the City of North Wildwood

✅ A crane was used to lift the flatbed out

✅ That section of the boardwalk is already scheduled for a rebuild in September

NORTH WILDWOOD — A heavy tow truck partially fell through the Wildwoods boardwalk on Thursday.

Photos and video posted on Facebook by drone operator Dan Robinson show that the tires of the flat-bed truck crunched through the boards in front of the Sugar Shack between 25th and 26th streets.

Mayor Patrick Rosenello told New Jersey 101.5 that a contractor was on a job for the city at the southern end of the boardwalk at the time.

"He unfortunately made a wrong turn, went over a section of boardwalk that his truck exceeded the weight limit for that area. The driver side tires broke through the wood at that location," Rosenello said.

A crane was used to lift the pickup out of the hole.

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Rosenello said the boardwalk would be repaired in the next few days and is part of a reconstruction and renovation of the boardwalk already underway in neighboring Wildwood.

"What we're going to do is go in there and do some temporary repairs, get us through the summer, and then that section where this incident occurred again, is slated to be completely reconstructed over the winter," Rosenello said.

Word of the incident fed into criticism of a Ford Maverick hybrid pickup truck that will pull the tramcar this summer and whether or not it is too heavy to be used.

"The truck that went through the boardwalk yesterday weighs approximately 17,000 pounds. The current tram engines weigh approximately 5,000 pounds, and the Ford Maverick hybrid weighs 3,800 pounds. So obviously it's a pretty big difference between what we're talking about here," Rosenello said.

Rosenello is also the executive director of the Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District. He said there are nine engines that pull the tramcar and the new pickup will be added to the mix. It will not be the only vehicle used.

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