By Julia Train
Ventnor’s boardwalk — a historic 1.7-mile extension of the Atlantic City Boardwalk — is undergoing a $10.9 million reconstruction project.
Construction began in November 2025 and covers over 30 streets, spanning from Jackson Avenue in Atlantic City to Cambridge Avenue in Ventnor, according to an October 2025 statement from the city.
Designed to strengthen and modernize the city’s most iconic public asset, the work includes “complete demolition and reconstruction of the boardwalk structure, the pavilions, street end ramps, railing and lighting between Jackson Avenue and Cambridge Avenue.”
The project is being completed in two phases, contracted out to Fred Schiavone Construction for about $8.4 million and Lumbermen Associates, Inc. for about $2.5 million, Ed Stinson, the Ventnor City engineer, said.
Phase 1, from Suffolk Avenue to Cambridge Avenue, began in fall 2025 and is expected to continue through spring 2026. Phase 2, from Suffolk Avenue to Jackson Avenue, is scheduled for fall 2026 through the winter.
For safety, the boardwalk was closed from Surrey Avenue to the Fishing Pier access ramp at the beginning of November 2025, and will remain closed until completion of the first phase, anticipated by May. City officials say the first phase is expected to be completed before Memorial Day weekend.
The pier itself remains accessible.
Crews demolished the boardwalk, moving from Suffolk Avenue to Cambridge.
Workers also had to dig out large amounts of sand that had built up beneath the boardwalk over the years. The sand was cleaned and piled onto the beach, where it will later be spread out above the high-tide line.
Once the area was cleared, the boardwalk was rebuilt, with the construction moving in phases, starting at Cambridge and moving toward Suffolk.
First, a crew drove new support pilings into the ground. Next came the framing team, followed by the decking crew, which began laying the new walking surface on Feb. 2.
Crews were installing as many as 20 to 24 pilings a day, but after snow and ice, that number dropped to about nine per day.
“The biggest challenge is coordinating all those phases of the project,” Stinson said. “The demolition took several months, and then driving piles into the sand for the new boardwalk has been taking the most time.”
After Labor Day, crews will go back to work for the second phase, reconstructing the portion of the boardwalk that runs from Suffolk to Jackson Avenue.
The new structure is being built with sturdy beams across the pilings to form the base, then topped with Cumaru, a dense tropical hardwood.
One visible change will be the elimination of the boardwalk’s distinctive angled herringbone decking pattern in favor of straight boards, according to Downbeach Buzz.
Additional updates include modifications to the lighting system, with shorter light poles installed more frequently along the walkway, as well as improvements to make access ramps more accessible. The current benches — including those bearing memorial plaques — will be reinstalled once construction is complete.
Funding for the project was secured through the New Jersey Boardwalk Preservation Fund, part of a broader $100 million initiative supported by federal American Rescue Plan dollars.
The city is one of 18 municipalities to receive funding through the Boardwalk Preservation Fund, which was administered through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Office of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation.
Julia graduated from Rider University in 2024 with a BA in multiplatform journalism and minor in social media strategies. In addition to reporting on local news for Shore Local, she is a social media strategist for small businesses. Connect with her: shorelocaljulia@gmail.com or @juliatrain on Instagram.
