Dear Friends,
I’d like to provide updates on a number of important road and drainage projects.
On Monday, work is expected to begin in the area between 14th Street and 16thStreet near the bay. The project will include new drainage pipes capable of handling flow from a 10-year storm. Combined with new and bigger outfall pipes and bulkhead improvements that are already completed, the entire area will see vastly improved drainage.
At the end of the month, I will schedule a town hall meeting to update neighbors and the public on a major project from 26th Street to 34th Street between West Avenue and Bay Avenue. The engineering firm Michael Baker International will present concepts for drainage and roadway improvements for the neighborhood following the survey and design work they have completed to date.
Baker started the process by meeting with the public at a town hall meeting in August. The city’s capital plan includes $4 million for the first phases of work, which will begin later this year. The project will replace and reconfigure drainage pipes and use pump stations to remediate flooding in this low-elevation area.
Another massive project at the north end of Ocean City is in the design phase. The city will use a $5 million grant to replace drainage pipes, install a pump station and repave roads. Based on feedback from the public at a town hall meeting, the city team is currently working with the county and the state Green Acres program to assess an alternative location for outfall pipes. But work on the project still is expected to begin by early next year.
These projects are all vital to improving the quality of life in Ocean City’s neighborhoods, and I understand there are many more roads in need of improvement. I also understand the frustration of residents with the pace of work.
In the meantime, anybody interested in the progress of any of our capital projects can follow updates at ocnj.us/projects. The revamped website pages offer the latest information on roads and drainage, beach, boardwalk, bay, and public facility projects. The pages are a work in progress and are aimed at providing the public with the latest news. If you have further questions, I encourage you to contact Public Information Officer Doug Bergen at dbergen@ocnj.us or 609-525-9286. He’ll track down an answer for you, if he can’t immediately answer your question.
I’m happy to report that the boardwalk project between Plaza Place and Eighth Street is near complete. Crews are finishing work on ramps, railings and lampposts, and the boardwalk will reopen by March 18, if not sooner.
New Jersey American Water also has capital work underway off West Atlantic Boulevard and Gardens Parkway to upgrade the wastewater lift station that was constructed in the 1960s. This project is another example of the continued investment our local utility companies make in Ocean City’s infrastructure.
I’d also like to congratulate Bike OCNJ and co-chairs Tom Heist and Drew Fasy. The group received an Advocate of the Year Award from the NJ Bike & Walk Coalition last Saturday. The local organization has been tireless in promoting measures to create safe bicycle routes in Ocean City, and they deserve our thanks.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor
Contact:
Doug Bergen
Public Information Officer
609-525-9286
dbergen@ocnj.us
