Cape May County is preparing to raise the 34th Street-Roosevelt Boulevard entryway from the bridge, in background, to West Avenue for flood protection.
The Cape May County Board of Commissioners has approved three major road construction projects totaling $8.7 million, including the elevation of the 34th Street-Roosevelt Boulevard gateway into Ocean City to protect it from flooding.
Costing $5.8 million, the Ocean City project calls for new drainage and paving along the Roosevelt Boulevard corridor from the 34th Street Bridge to West Avenue.
Roosevelt Boulevard is the second-busiest entryway into Ocean City, behind the Route 52 Causeway-Ninth Street corridor downtown.
Work is scheduled to get underway on Roosevelt Boulevard this week, with completion by spring 2026, according to Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow, who represents the southern part of Ocean City.
“Once the project is done in spring, it will be beautiful. It will be a great gateway into Ocean City,” Winslow said.
In the meantime, Winslow warned that motorists should expect traffic impacts such as lane shifts while the construction work is being done.
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.
Roadway construction and aesthetic improvements are planned to dress up the 34th Street gateway into town.Overall, the road project will elevate the 34th Street-Roosevelt Boulevard gateway to protect it from flooding that seeps from the wetlands surrounding the road into Ocean City to Bay Avenue.
The project will also include new bike paths on both sides of the roadway, as well as new curbs, sidewalks and handicap-accessible ramps, Winslow said.
Although the roadway construction is a county project, Ocean City has been discussing other improvements that the city would make to give the 34th Street entryway a facelift.
New landscaping, decorative LED lighting and the removal of some of the aging signs lining the roadway are part of the corridor’s transformation into a more inviting gateway.
Meanwhile, the road construction projects approved by the Cape May County Board of Commissioners also include major improvements to Seashore Road (County Route 626) in Lower Township and East Creek Mill Road (County Route 670) in Dennis Township.
In Lower Township, Seashore Road will undergo the second phase of paving at a cost of $1.5 million. Seashore Road is a major north-south connector serving neighborhoods, businesses and year-round traffic in Lower Township.
In Dennis Township, East Creek Mill Road will receive the second phase of paving at a cost of nearly $1.4 million. East Creek Mill Road is considered a vital corridor that supports residential traffic and connects to multiple county roads.
A new whimsically designed welcome sign greets motorists entering Ocean City on the 34th Street corridor.County officials emphasized that all three road projects in Ocean City, Lower Township and Dennis Township reflect the county’s longstanding priority of investing in safe and reliable infrastructure.
“Cape May County continues to make the smart, responsible investments necessary to keep our road network strong,” Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio said in a statement. “From our barrier island communities to our rural townships, we are committed to maintaining and improving the infrastructure that residents, businesses, and visitors rely on every day. These projects show our dedication not just today, but for the long term.”
Construction contracts for all three projects were awarded to South State Inc. of Bridgeton, N.J., following competitive bidding. The projects will be completed under the oversight of the Cape May County Engineer’s Office.
