"Repave Atlantic Avenue!"
The calls have come loud and often as residents and visitors beg for action on the city's main thoroughfare that has become known for rocky travels, wrecked vehicle alignments and tire damage.
While construction is not yet underway, the work setting the stage has begun, the city announced Monday.
"Atlantic City has officially begun the final phase of the Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project, marking a major milestone in the much-anticipated transformation of Atlantic Avenue," the city wrote in a news release. "This phase includes the milling and paving of Atlantic Avenue from Tennessee Avenue to Albany Avenue, along with traffic signal synchronization and additional lighting."
Construction crews are on the scene, removing concrete to prepare the foundations for new light poles being installed later this month, according to the schedule.
The completion will light the way — so to speak — for milling and paving to start by the end of spring.
"The residents and visitors of the great city of Atlantic City have long awaited the paving of Atlantic Avenue, and we are proud to say the finish line is now within reach,” Mayor Marty Small said. “This project is the result of a strong partnership between our city, state, and federal partners, and I look forward to the moment in the near future when I get to announce Atlantic Avenue is fully completed.”
Temporary detours and modified traffic patterns along Atlantic Avenue and certain side streets will be part of that work.
"These adjustments will be limited to active work zones and will not impact the entire length of Atlantic Avenue at any one time," the city states.
Construction crews preparing foundations for light pole installation at Iowa and Atlantic avenues as part of the final phase of Atlantic Avenue improvements. (City of Atlantic City photos)The bidding process began in August, Small announced at a news conference in the street that month.
South State Inc. was awarded the contract a City Council meeting in September.
The city has since been working with the state and Atlantic City Electric to finalize a tariff agreement for the corridor’s lighting system.
Atlantic City Electric will assume responsibility for operations, resulting in significant long-term cost savings for Atlantic City taxpayers, according to the city.
“We are excited to begin construction on the final phase of this project,” City Engineer Uzo Ahiarakwe said. “With the preparatory work now behind us, we are well-positioned to move forward efficiently. Our team is committed to completing this project in a timely manner while minimizing disruptions for residents, businesses, and visitors.”
The project is to include200 new decorative pedestrian lights to make the street safer, handicap access at all intersections and wayfinding signs to help guide visitors and residents around town.
The traffic lights also will be synchronized, which would fulfill a more than two decades old promise.
The final phase of the project is valued at $17.6 million and is funded through a $10.3 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration, along with additional funding from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the city.
The project’s initial phase, completed in 2023, included paving, restriping, lighting replacement, and traffic signal synchronization along Atlantic Avenue from Maine Avenue to Tennessee Avenue, as well as the installation of fiber and conduit extending to Albany Avenue.
In total, the project from Maine to Albany avenues is about $24.8 million invested into the city's infrastructure.
