Beach Drive Sidewalk Project OK’d by Lower Twp. Council

VILLAS – The long-anticipated and often-criticized Shore/Beach Drive Sidewalk Improvement Project in North Cape May is a reality. At its reorganization meeting Jan. 3, the Lower Township Council passed a resolution to approve a construction bid of $1.97 million to Asphalt Paving Systems, Inc.  
According to township Administrator James Ridgway, the project will be completed by the start of summer this year. The project will resurface Beach Drive, add a six-foot-wide sidewalk to the west side, and create new markings and cutouts to make Beach Drive from Lincoln Boulevard to Emerson Road safer for motorists, bikers, joggers, and pedestrians.
Opposition
Community opposition to the plan has led to petitions and emotional council meetings that bordered on disorderly. Opponents of the project believe that by pushing the dunes toward the bay to make room for the new sidewalk, the area will lose critical flood protection that the dunes provide.
Others believe that there are no pedestrian safety concerns along the drive. Further, some add, this project should not be considered until a safety study is conducted.
Many felt that stricter speed enforcement and other much less expensive initiatives would improve safety, protect the dunes, and prevent accidents.
Funding
On June 27, 2017, Lower Township applied for a $1.735-million county Open Space grant to partially fund the west side of Beach Drive to include the six-foot-wide sidewalks and re-surfacing of Beach Drive.
The township had already received a $178,000 Department of Transportation grant to cover engineering to improve the existing east side sidewalks and intersections on Beach Drive. In June, the township engineer estimated the total cost of the project to be $3.35 million. According to township Grant Coordinator Coleen Crippen, the competitive bids received from several contractors produced much lower total cost proposals; Asphalt Paving won the bid at the $1,967,700 figure instead of $3.35 million.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.