Long-awaited Atlantic and Pacific avenue work begins Sept. 21 after months of utility and infrastructure construction, backed by millions in federal, state and local funding
ATLANTIC CITY — After months of construction, utility work and shifting timetables, Atlantic City has finally put a date on something residents and motorists have been waiting to see: fresh pavement on two of the resort's busiest streets.
Milling and paving of Atlantic Avenue from Tennessee Avenue to Albany Avenue will begin Monday night, Sept. 21, Mayor Marty Small Sr. announced Thursday.
At the same time, paving will begin on Pacific Avenue from Hartford Avenue to Connecticut Avenue, with that work divided into three phases.
The Atlantic Avenue work will take place overnight on weekdays, beginning at 8 p.m., while Pacific Avenue construction will occur during daytime hours.
Both projects are expected to be completed by the end of the year, weather permitting.
“We know our residents, businesses and visitors have been waiting for this work to begin for a very long time, and we are excited to finally reach this point,” Small said Thursday.
“We want the community to be there with us as we mark the start of this final phase and move closer to our new and improved streets.”
A Long Road to New Pavement
The announcement marks an important milestone in infrastructure work South Jersey NewsBeat has followed throughout the year.
Although motorists have watched construction unfold along Atlantic Avenue for months, repaving couldn't simply begin when the old roadway was torn up. Underground utility work, electrical infrastructure, lighting and other improvements had to be coordinated before crews could put down the final pavement.
The city announced in April that the final phase of Atlantic Avenue improvements was underway, with work including new concrete, foundations for decorative lighting and preparations for milling and paving.
The timetable subsequently moved deeper into the year as the various pieces of the project were coordinated.
Thursday's announcement now puts the start of milling at a specific place and time: Florida and Atlantic avenues at 8 p.m. Monday.
Who's Paying for Atlantic Avenue?
The work is considerably more extensive than a routine resurfacing job.
The Atlantic Avenue project between Tennessee and Albany avenues carries a cost of approximately $17.6 million, according to city records.
About $10.3 million comes through a Federal Highway Administration grant, with additional funding coming through New Jersey Department of Transportation grants and Atlantic City.
The project includes more than new asphalt. Plans have called for synchronized traffic signals, ADA improvements, high-visibility crosswalks, signage, surveillance equipment, streetscape improvements and more than 200 decorative streetlights in addition to roadway reconstruction.
South State Inc. was awarded the construction contract for the Atlantic Avenue project.
When the earlier Atlantic Avenue work from Maine Avenue to Tennessee Avenue is included, roughly $24.8 million has been invested in improvements along the larger Maine-to-Albany corridor, according to previously reported project figures.
Millions More Going Into Pacific Avenue
Pacific Avenue has its own collection of state and federal funding.
Last year, NJDOT announced $5.3 million in state and federal grants for Atlantic City infrastructure projects, with approximately $4.58 million directed toward sections of Pacific Avenue.
That included $1.08 million for work between Connecticut and North Carolina avenues and $3.5 million covering additional sections of the corridor.
Separate from the paving, Atlantic City also has a $6.26 million Pacific Avenue traffic-signal optimization project involving 35 intersections.
That distinction is important: not all of the millions being spent on Pacific Avenue are simply paying to put down asphalt.
The larger effort includes traffic signals and other infrastructure designed to modernize one of Atlantic City's primary transportation corridors.
Thursday's city announcement said South State Inc. is contracted for the Atlantic and Pacific Avenue projects.
City contracting records also show Think Pavers Hardscaping LLC received an $886,382 contract for a 2026 Pacific Avenue paving project, while South State holds the separate multimillion-dollar signal-optimization contract.
South Jersey NewsBeat has asked the city for clarification on how the Pacific Avenue work beginning Monday is divided between the contractors.
That question does not affect the city's announced Monday start date.
Another Street Gets Federal Approval
Atlantic and Pacific avenues aren't the only streets moving forward.
Small also announced Thursday that Atlantic City has received Federal Highway Administration approval to pave Fairmount Avenue from Missouri Avenue to Winchester Avenue.
The city expects that work to be completed before the end of the year as well.
Baltic Avenue from Maine Avenue to Missouri Avenue has already been paved.
Taken together, the projects represent one of the more visible phases of Atlantic City's ongoing infrastructure work — and one that motorists should increasingly be able to see rather than simply drive around.
Lane Closures, But No Full Closures Expected
Drivers should expect parking restrictions and lane closures while the paving is underway.
The city currently does not anticipate completely closing the roads during construction.
Atlantic Avenue work is scheduled for overnight hours beginning at 8 p.m. during the week, while Pacific Avenue work will begin in the mornings and continue during the day.
Schedules remain dependent on weather.
City Plans ‘Paving & Behavin’ Party’
After the long wait, City Hall isn't letting the first milling machine roll without marking the occasion.
Small is inviting residents to a “Paving & Behavin' Party” at Florida and Atlantic avenues Monday evening.
The community event begins at 6:30 p.m. with food and music. Small and other city officials are scheduled to speak at 7:45 p.m.
At 8 p.m., crews are scheduled to begin milling Atlantic Avenue from Florida to Mississippi avenues.
“While this is the beginning of the end of this chapter, we're going to continue to keep our foot on the gas under the Small Administration and deliver quality services,” Small said.
For residents and businesses that have spent much of 2026 navigating construction zones, Monday won't mark the end of the inconvenience.
But after months of digging, utility work and waiting, it will mark something many have been asking to see for a long time:
the beginning of the final paving.
