Capital Projects Roads and Drainage
Ocean City in recent years has committed an unprecedented level of funding to completing long-neglected projects. The city plans to spend more than $140 million over the next five years to improve every part of island from the beach and boardwalk to the bay. Check here for regular updates on projects. The work is guided by a five-year capital plan.
Here are projects currently under construction, in the planning stages and recently completed.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
WEST AVENUE: 26TH STREET TO 34TH STREET
- PROJECT UPDATE: If weather cooperates, final paving will take place in the first week of January 2022.
- DESCRIPTION: Paving, drainage and concrete work on West Avenue from 26th Street to 34th Street. Elimination of antiquated siphon drain systems on 26th Street, 29th Street and 31st Street. Project funded in part by a municipal aid grant.
- SCHEDULE: Fall 2022.
ASBURY AVENUE: 36TH STREET TO 39TH STREET
- PROJECT UPDATE: If weather cooperates, final paving will take place in the first week of January 2022.
- DESCRIPTION: Paving, drainage and concrete work on Asbury Avenue from 36th Street to 39th Street. Elimination of antiquated siphon drain system on 38th Street. Project funded in part by a municipal aid grant.
- SCHEDULE: Winter 2021-22.
NJAW SEWERAGE MAIN REPLACEMENT: 34TH STREET
- PROJECT UPDATE: Work is expected to be complete by the end of December 2021.
- DESCRIPTION: Re-routing and replacement of a sewerage line near the 34th Street playground.
- SCHEDULE: Fall 2022.
ON DECK
FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT: 10TH STREET to 14TH STREET
- PROJECT UPDATE: Construction bids were rejected in December 2021. The city is actively pursuing infrastructure grant money and will go back out to bid.
- DESCRIPTION: The first phase of a major neighborhood drainage project from 9th Street to 26th Street will add pumping stations, improve drainage and elevate roadways where possible in the area between West Avenue and Bay Avenue from 10th Street to 14th Street.
- SCHEDULE: Spring-Fall 2022.
FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT: WEST 17TH STREET
- PROJECT UPDATE: See town hall presentations by the flood mitigation contractor and by the New Jersey American Water Company.
- DESCRIPTION: A major neighborhood drainage project on West 17th Street will add a pumping station, improve drainage and elevate roadways where possible. At the same time, utility companies will make upgrades to water, gas and sewerage lines and add a separate pumping station.
- SCHEDULE: Winter-Spring-Fall 2022.
COMPLETED
- NORTH END NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE PROJECT: Three stormwater pumping stations and a new network of storm pipes were used to enhance drainage in the north end neighborhood between First Street and Eighth Street, from West Avenue to the bay. The estimated $8 million project used a $5 million FEMA grant, the largest Ocean City has ever received.
- 26TH STREET TO 34TH STREET NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE PROJECT: A $6.5 million neighborhood drainage project replaced and increased the capacity of storm drain pipes, upgraded check valves, reconfigured roads to make sure water flows into the storm drain system and used four pumping stations to increase the rate of drainage.
- 2017 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 2: First Street (West to Atlantic), North Street (Central to Atlantic), 2nd Street (West to Atlantic), 3rd Street (West to Atlantic Ave), Wesley (Battersea to 1st Street), West/Asbury alley (North to 1st), Asbury/Central alley (1st to 3rd), Central/Wesley alley (1st to 3rd), Asbury/Central alley (4th to 5th), Central/Wesley alley (8th to 9th).
- 2017 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 3: 22nd Street (West to Asbury), Tennessee Avenue, Caroline Lane, Coral Lane, Gilbert Lane, Kingston Lane, Marshall Lane, Tennessee Avenue Boat Ramp Parking Lot, 21st Street (bulkhead to Bay), Pine Road, Tobago Lane, Barbados Lane, 18th Street (bulkhead to Bay), Walton Place (check valve replacement installed).
- 2018 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 1: Asbury (55th Street – southern terminus), West Avenue (55th St – 59th St), 56th St (West-Central), 56th St (Bay-Central), W. 55TH ST (Dory-the bay), Asbury/Central alley (57th-58th), Asbury/Central alley (59th), 57th St (West-the beach), 58th St (West-Central), 59TH ST (West-Central ), Haven/West alley (55th – 56th), 53rd and Bay Avenue.
- 2018 DOWNTOWN STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS: Installation of brick pedestrian crosswalks at Sixth Street, Seventh Street and 11th Street.
- 2018 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 2: Bayland/Bay alley (28th – 30th), Bayland/Bay alley (southern terminus – Waterway), 32nd St – north side (West-Asbury), Haven Ave (33rd-34th), West Ave (32nd-34th), Bay/Simpson alley (28th-33rd), Simpson/Haven alley (29th-33rd), Haven/West alley (29th-32nd), 31st St (West-Asbury), 33rd St (West-the beach).
- 2018 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 5: Delancey and Corinthian intersection, Sixth Street (Asbury-Wesley), Sixth Street (ocean drainage), Sixth Street (West to Central).
- NINTH STREET DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS: Upgraded drainage pipe on the beach to handle 10-year storm and upgraded drainage pipes on the west side of the boardwalk.
- WEST 17TH STREET BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS: Replacement of the bridge and inter-lagoon culvert on W. 17th Street. This was a Cape May County project. The new bridge includes 6-foot-wide shoulders on each side, as well as 6-foot-wide sidewalks. The estimated cost of the project was about $2 million.
- 2017 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 1: 45th Street (Haven to West), 46th Street (West to Beach), 47th Street (Haven to Beach), Asbury Avenue (45th to 47th), Haven/West Alley (43rd to 45th), West/Asbury Alley (46th to 47th), Haven/West Alley (51st to 53rd), 53rd Street (Bay to West), West/Asbury Alley (26th to 27th), Central/Wesley Alley (26th to 28th). Dog park concrete apron.
- 2017 BULKHEAD IMPROVEMENTS: Cayman Harbor, Alder Lane and Tennessee Avenue. Floating dock at boat ramp. Phase 2 included Pine Road Marcus Harbor, Pine Road Tonga Harbor and 21st Street. Phase 3 was 13th Street, 18th Street and a 2nd Street bulkhead repair.
- OCEANFRONT STORMWATER OUTFALL IMPROVEMENTS: Increase outfall capacity for outfalls at 3rd Street, 6th Street, 9th Street and 13th Street. The new pipes have three times the capacity of the old ones.
- 34TH STREET BRIDGE REDECKING: A two-year Cape May County project replaced the decking of the bridge (constructed in 1964). Thirteen of 31 spans were completely replaced, and 18 underwent "hydro-demolition" to blast away the top three inches of concrete. The $8 million project on the most heavily traveled Cape May County bridge also included steel and railing repairs.
- SOUTH JERSEY GAS MAIN RENEWAL PROJECT: The project includes parts of 34th Street and nearby stretches of Asbury Avenue, Central Avenue, Wesley Avenue, West Avenue, Simpson Avenue, Waterway Road, Sunnyside Court, Bayland Drive, Bay Avenue, 36th Street, 34th Street, 32nd Street, 31st Street, 30th Street, 29th Street, 28th Street, 27th Street, 24th Street, 23rd Street and 22nd Street.
- 2016 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 5: 12th Street (Haven to West), Delancey (Atlantic to Boardwalk), Park Place (Atlantic to Boardwalk), St. Charles (Atlantic to Boardwalk), Fourth Street (Atlantic to Boardwalk) and Third Street (Wesley to Atlantic). Project may include some other north-end streets and alleys.
- DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS: Replace check valves at 14th Street and 16th Street.
- SOUTH JERSEY GAS CONSTRUCTION: South Jersey Gas converted the natural gas infrastructure system from lower to higher pressure throughout the city. South Jersey Gas performed this work to enhance and protect its infrastructure in advance of future significant weather events as part of its Storm Hardening and Reliability Program.
- 2016 BULKHEAD IMPROVEMENTS: Replacing the bulkhead on Tennessee Avenue at Salvador Harbor.
- 2016 TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS: Traffic lights at 14th Street and Wesley Avenue, and 18th Street and Asbury Avenue.
- 2016 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM: Paving of East Atlantic (Surf Rd. to Gardens Parkway), Holly Tree, Pinnacle, Gull, Gull Haven, East Seaspray (East Atlantic to Waverly), 10th Street and Palen Avenue, 4000 block of West/Asbury alley, 00 block of Central/Wesley alley, 1400 block of Simpson/Haven alley.
- 2016 ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PHASE 2: Elevation and drainage improvements on 46th Street.
- 14TH STREET TO 16TH NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE PROJECT: Project included paving and drainage work of Pleasure Avenue (14th to 16th), 16th Street (bulkhead to West Avenue), 15th Street (bulkhead to Bay Avenue), 14th Street (bulkhead to Bay Avenue), Prospect Avenue, Wovern Place, Bayview Place, the Bayview-14th alley, Bayonne Place, Sunset Place, 1600 block of the Bay-Simpson alley, 1600 block of Haven Avenue and the 1500 block of the Haven-West alley. All roads were designed with pitch to move water into the storm drain system. The project included new drainage pipes capable of handling flow from a 10-year storm. Combined with new and bigger outfall pipes and bulkhead improvements, the entire area saw improved drainage.
- LAGOON DRAINAGE REPAIRS: Sink holes in the side yards of numerous homes related to deteriorating drainage pipes -- 47-51 Arkansas, 58-60 Arkansas, 44-46 Waterway, 25-26 Grenada, 1-2 Caroline, 1-2 Kingston.
- 12TH STREET TO 14TH STREET AREA NEAR BAY: New Jersey American Water project including milling, paving and drainage improvements to the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Pleasure Avenue, 12th Street and 13th Street (from Pleasure to Bay Avenue) and the Pleasure/Bay alley.
- 11TH STREET AND WEST 17TH STREET BULKHEAD IMPROVEMENTS: Work Replacement of 11th Street bulkhead, paving of 11th Street west of Bay Avenue and installation of larger drainage pipe on 11th Street; West 17th Street bulkhead; drainage on north side of 10th Street between Wesley and Ocean; Glenwood Drive gutter around cul-de-sac; 7th and Asbury/Central ADA ramp on north side of street.
- COUNTY DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS: Replacement of drainage pipe on the west side of 55th Street and inlets at 34th Street and Asbury Avenue.
- SPRING 2016 ALLEY IMPROVEMENTS: 100 Block of Wesley/Ocean alley, 300 block of Asbury/Central alley, 1000 block of West/Asbury alley, 5400 block of Asbury/Central alley, 5500 block of Asbury/Central alley and 800 block of Wesley/Ocean alley. Work was completed in March 2016.
- MERION PARK NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE PROJECT: Comprehensive road and drainage project including the reconfiguration and replacement of storm drain system, installation of three pumping stations and repaving of roads.
- BAY AVENUE: 6th Street to 18th Street. Work completed by Cape May County.
- GARDENS ROADWORK: Paving of West Station Road, Sindia, Haven Avenue, North Street, Warwick Road, First Street, Haven/West alley, Simpson/Haven alley and bioswale at North Street and West Avenue.
- GARDENS ROADWORK II: West Atlantic Boulevard, Bridge Boulevard, Crescent Road, West Surf Road, Inlet Road (Battersea to West Surf Road), Landing Road, East Inlet and East Surf Road.
- DOWNTOWN PAVING: At 7th Street, 8th Street, 800 block of West Avenue, Pennlyn Place and 11th Street
- SOUTH END ASBURY AVENUE: Paving of Asbury (42nd to 45th), 45th Street (West to Central), 44th Street (meadows to Central), 43rd Street (meadows to Central), 4600 block of the Asbury/Central alley.
- WEST AVENUE RESTRIPING AND BICYCLE LANES: County project to create buffered bicycle lanes south of 34th Street.
- BULKHEAD IMPROVEMENTS: 16th Street, Battersea Road, Cove Walk, Walton Place, North Street, 12th Street, 2nd Street Marina, 7th Street and Landing Road.
- TENNESSEE AVENUE BULKHEAD AND SECOND STREET DOCK: Bulkhead improvements to mitigate flooding.
- 10TH STREET BULKHEAD IMPROVEMENTS: Replacement of bulkhead and fishing pier.
- FALL 2013 ROADS 3: Stenton Place, Pelham Place, Arkansas Avenue, Simpson Avenue (1100 block east side), 12th Street (Bay to Simpson, south side).
- FALL 2013 ROADS 1: Asbury Avenue (39th to 42nd), 42nd Street (West to Central), 41st Street (with drainage from Central to meadows);,40th Street (with drainage from Central to meadows), 39th Street (West to Central), 56th Street (Central to beach), 52nd Street (Central to beach), West/Asbury alley (8th to 9th).
RESOURCES
- 2019-2023 Capital Plan: Presentation (Feb. 28, 2019)
- 2019-2023 Capital Plan: Spreadsheet Summary
- 2017-2021 Road Improvement Program
- North End Pump Station Presentation (Nov. 14, 2015)
- Haven Avenue Flood Study
- Town Hall Meeting on Roads and Drainage Study of 26th Street to 34th Street between West Avenue and Bay Avenue (Aug. 4, 2015)
- Road Rating System (Updated March 2016)
- Drainage, Bulkhead and Road Presentation (explaining island-wide flooding issues)
- Flood Animation
- Fourth Ward Capital Plan Presentation (March 18, 2017)
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 1
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 2
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 3
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 4
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 5
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 6
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 7
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 8
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 9
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 10
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 11
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 12
- Town Hall Meeting Video - Drainage Project - March 30, 2016 - Part 13
(Note: Street range is incorrectly labeled in videos above.) - Interactive Road Project Map
- Presentation (May 19, 2018)
- 2019-2023 Capital Plan: Presentation (Feb. 28, 2019)
- 2019-2023 Capital Plan: Spreadsheet
- 2020-2024 Capital Plan
- See what roads are scheduled for improvement in the next five years
- See where porous pavement is used in Ocean City