AVALON — Major street work on two main roads here will begin this week. Storm water improvement projects are now complete and portions of Ocean Drive from 14th to 29th streets will be resurfaced with five inches of asphalt and damaged concrete curbing, gutters, and sidewalks will be replaced.
Construction work will be conducted daily from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Scheduled completion date is June 11, however, the contractor intends to conduct paving operations in April to help meet the goal of getting the entire project done before Memorial Day weekend.
County officials issued a notice to proceed on Feb. 13. South State, Inc. of Bridgeton, New Jersey is the general contractor. Ocean Drive will only be closed to motorists while the paving portion of the operation is underway in April. There is a variable electronic message sign posted on Avalon Boulevard to alert motorists about the construction project.
The borough also plans a similar roadway construction project along the southbound lane of Dune Drive from 12th to 19th streets.
Borough Council passed a resolution Feb. 25 authorizing Hatch, Mott McDonald to provide construction-engineering services for $36,000. Council also authorized a contract with S. Batata Construction, Inc. of South River, to perform the work for $306,827.
Borough Engineer Thomas Thornton told council bid amounts came in lower than expected and therefore the borough was able to extend the project a few blocks north. He said 11 “very competitive” bids were received for the project, originally estimated to cost $400,000, resulting in about $100,000 in savings.
Thornton said the eastside of southbound lanes have substandard ramps so there is a supplemental item to buy American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compatible ramps for $1,000 each. Funding assistance came from a $150,000 New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority Grant. There is a 60 day completion period for this project, which is expected to wrap up in early May, Thornton said.
The two projects’ construction periods will overlap and both are slated to be complete prior to Memorial Day weekend. Work done on Dune Drive involves new gutters, curbing and roadway resurfacing with five inches of asphalt. It is expected to result in a much smoother ride and better drainage. Traffic control will be coordinated between both projects for motorists’ safe and easy passage.
