New Jersey Dept. of Transpor­tation recently leveraged $70 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to proceed with the second phase of a major replacement project on the Route 52 causeway near Atlantic City, improving a key link to the southern Jersey shore. Traffic volume tops 40,000 vehicles daily in summer, NJDOT says.

Ocean City, N.J.
Ocean City, N.J.
Causeway bridges are being replaced to handle heavy shore traffic.
Photo: NJDOT
Causeway bridges are being replaced to handle heavy shore traffic.

Agency spokesman Tim Greeley says the $251-million project will create 500 new construction jobs throughout its three-year duration. There are about120 workers on-site now, Greeley says.

The project will replace two existing lift bridges at each end of the causeway with fixed spans and improve approach roads. The second phase will eventually create a new visitors center, multi-use sidewalks for bicyclists and pedestrians as well as several fishing piers.

Route 52 Causeway
Reconstruction Phase 2
Jobs Created Total: 500
Current: 121
ARRA Contract Amount $70 Million
Actual Contract Value $251 Million

A joint venture of R.E. Pierson Construction Co., Pilesgrove Township, N.J., and G.A. & F.C. Wagman Inc., York, Pa., is driving piles for the new bridge leading into Ocean City as well as performing excavation and dredging operations in the harbor. Project completion is scheduled for the end of 2012.