City of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. was joined by U.S. Congressman Jeff Van Drew and city officials Thursday morning to announce the Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project through the heart of town will go out to bid next week, and construction will begin shortly thereafter. The City of Atlantic City has received the remaining funding and approval from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) for the project, which includes the repaving of Atlantic Avenue from Tennessee to Albany Avenues, to proceed. The bidding process will open on Tuesday, August 19th. The $17.6 Million portion of this project is funded by a $10.3 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration, along with other NJDOT grants, and City of Atlantic City funds. Congressman Van Drew assisted with the release of the Federal Highway Administration funding this past spring to NJDOT. The Federal Highway Administration Grant was approved in November 2021. Once the bidding process is complete, pending City Council approval, construction on this phase of the Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project would begin in October of this year with sidewalk and curbing work, fiber connection and resurfacing.
“This is about more than just fresh pavement, it’s an investment in safety and quality of life for our residents,” said Mayor Small. “In government, sometimes things get in the way beyond our control, but the Small Administration kept fighting the good fight for the taxpayers of Atlantic City. We must thank Congressman Jeff Van Drew for working extremely hard to help make this day possible, former New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti who was instrumental in moving this project forward, along with our planning and grant consultant Jim Rutala, and our engineering office.”
“This project has been a bumpy ride and rough road, but it’s finally going to get done and this project will make a difference,” said Congressman Van Drew. “Infrastructure shouldn’t be political, it’s about doing the right thing, getting it done and working together, because what matters is the future generations of people who live here and work here, and you want the town to be nice. That’s what we’re working towards.”
The Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project will enhance traffic flow, safety, and accessibility along the key Atlantic Avenue corridor through Atlantic City. The project includes significant infrastructure improvements such as resurfacing roadways, upgrading traffic signals, and enhancing pedestrian facilities. Safety upgrades will include higher visibility crosswalks, lighting, and ADA-compliant ramps that will improve accessibility for all users. These upgrades aim to create a safer, more efficient, and more aesthetically pleasing corridor along Atlantic Avenue.
In addition to transportation improvements, the Atlantic Avenue project incorporates beautification and streetscape elements to support economic development and community appeal. Over 200 decorative streetlights and improved signage will help transform the corridor into a vibrant, attractive thoroughfare that better connects neighborhoods, businesses, and regional destinations. By combining functional upgrades with aesthetic enhancements, the project will promote economic growth, improve quality of life, and strengthen Atlantic City’s role as a regional hub.
These improvements were scheduled to begin last fall, but were delayed first by litigation, then by project review by the Trump Administration. This phase of the Atlantic Avenue Improvement Project is expected to last for up to 24 months, including breaks for work in the winter months. The first phase of the project encompassed the paving, restriping, lighting replacement, and traffic signal synchronization of Atlantic Avenue from Maine to Tennessee Avenues. It also included the installation of fiber and conduit from Tennessee to Albany Avenues. The first phase was completed in fall 2023. The total cost for the entire Atlantic Avenue project (Maine to Albany Avenues and the streets along Pacific Avenue) is $24.8 Million.
It was also announced during today’s news conference that the Pacific Avenue Signal Optimization Project is set to begin next week. This is a multi-phase initiative aimed at optimizing 35 traffic signals along Pacific Avenue. The scope includes installation of new hardware at each signalized intersection to enable advanced vehicle detection and signal timing, deployment of seven miles of fiber optic cable, system integrating and testing, and roadway resurfacing, which is contingent on the installation of underground conduit and junction boxes from Atlantic Avenue to Hartford Avenue, Arkansas Avenue to Indiana Avenue, and Connecticut Avenue to New Hampshire Avenue. The milling and paving of Baltic Avenue from Maine to Missouri Avenues will begin August 21st, and the paving of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard from Mediterranean Avenue to Route 30 is scheduled to begin this fall.
Photos credit: Edward Lea / City of Atlantic City
