VENTNOR – A large swath of the Ventnor boardwalk will be off limits for more than six months during a reconstruction project set to begin on Nov. 3, according to information shared by the city today.
An eight block area of the boardwalk will be closed to foot traffic and bicycles from Surrey Avenue to the Ventnor Pier during the first phase of boardwalk reconstruction beginning Nov. 3 and continuing until May 1, 2026.
The pier and access ramp will remain accessible. A staging area for heavy equipment will be located at Suffolk Avenue.
“This is an important project, and unfortunately, we will have to bear with the inconvenience,” Commissioner of Public Works Lance Landgraf said. “Our boardwalk is over 60 years old and is in dire need of replacement.”
Ventnor was one of the biggest winners in Gov. Phil Murphy’s $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund competition. Winners were announced in February 2024.
"Our boardwalks have long been a prized destination, and we want to keep them that way by helping shore communities repair and maintain these wooden main streets,” Murphy said when the grants were announced.
Ventnor was awarded $7.1 million for the project. Atlantic City was another big winner in the grant competition. It was awarded $20 million to fund replacement of sections of the “World Famous Atlantic City Boardwalk.” Other South Jersey coastal communities receiving grants included Brigantine, which received $1,185,838, Ocean City $4,859,175 and Sea Isle City $1,997,000.
“We will have to seek out additional funds to complete the rest of it,” Landgraf said.
The boardwalk will be rebuilt in two phases with Phase 1 from Suffolk Avenue to Cambridge Avenue during fall 2025 and spring 2026. No work will be done during the summer months.
“We hope to have the first phase done by Memorial Day 2026,” he said.
Phase 2 from Suffolk Avenue to Jackson Avenue will start up in fall of 2026 and continue through the winter months, he said.
“We have to spend the state’s grant money by the end of October 2026,” Landgraf said. “To expedite that, we already spent $1.5 million of it to purchase the Ipe wood we need for the project.”
At its last meeting, the Board of Commissioners approved an $8.4 million contract for Fred M. Schiavone Construction of Malaga to rebuild the boardwalk from Cambridge Avenue to Jackson Avenue, the city’s border with Atlantic City. The project will completely replace the structure, including pilings, decking, rails and lighting.
The Ventnor Boardwalk was built in 1962 and is entirely constructed with wood that has deteriorated over time. Some of the pilings are hourglass-shaped and some of the joists have split due to years of use and the weight of vehicle traffic.
The scope of work includes complete demolition and reconstruction of the boardwalk structure, the pavilions, street end ramps, railing and lighting.
Copyright Fideri News Network 2025
