Cape May County is rebuilding the Roosevelt Boulevard-34th Street corridor.
The reconstruction of the Roosevelt Boulevard entryway into Ocean City is about to enter a major new phase that will include a shift in traffic patterns starting Thursday night.
Construction crews are completing the first stage of elevating the roadway from the Ocean City side of the 34th Street Bridge to Bay Avenue, Cape May County said Wednesday in the latest update on the project.
Traffic patterns are scheduled to shift onto the newly paved north side of the roadway so that construction can begin on the south side starting Thursday.
Weather permitting, the traffic shift should happen between 8 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday. The single eastbound and westbound lane configuration will continue, but will be shifted to the north side of the roadway, the county said.
During the transition, motorists should expect delays because alternating traffic patterns will be needed to make the shift. The new traffic configuration will remain in place for about five weeks as the contractor begins the reconstruction of the existing eastbound lane and shoulder areas.
Beginning around 7 a.m. Friday, the new traffic pattern should be in place and fully operational. Upon completion of the new traffic pattern Friday morning, construction activities are scheduled to proceed during normal daytime working hours.
Motorists are urged to proceed slowly through the work area and to use caution approaching the Bay Avenue intersection because the lane shift will place vehicles slightly outside of the normal alignment with the traffic lights.
The Roosevelt Boulevard-34th Street corridor, a county road, is being elevated to protect it from floodwaters seeping out of the surrounding marshlands during coastal storms.
Costing $5.8 million, the project calls for new drainage and paving along the Roosevelt Boulevard corridor from the 34th Street Bridge to West Avenue.
Ocean City officials say the work is scheduled to be completed this spring, before the arrival of the Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the peak summer tourism season at the shore.
Roosevelt Boulevard is the second-busiest entryway into Ocean City, behind the Route 52 Causeway-Ninth Street corridor downtown.
The 34th Street corridor ties in with Roosevelt Boulevard to link Ocean City’s southern end with neighboring Upper Township. The roadway, including the 34th Street Bridge, spans about two miles from Route 9 in Upper Township’s Marmora section to Bay Avenue in Ocean City. The road is under Cape May County’s control.
