Black Horse Pike Construction Could Stretch Into 2030 — Here's What Drivers Need to Know

NJDOT records confirm a long construction timeline as officials pursue additional traffic changes along the busy Egg Harbor Township corridor

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Motorists waiting for a permanent fix to chronic flooding along the Black Horse Pike could soon see one of the corridor's biggest construction projects get underway — but they could be living with the work for years.

New Jersey Department of Transportation records reviewed by South Jersey NewsBeat show the massive Route 40/322 drainage project through West Atlantic City is designed to raise approximately one mile of the highway, install new drainage infrastructure and rebuild portions of the roadway in an effort to reduce recurring flooding.

State Sen. Vince Polistina said Wednesday that NJDOT officials recently told local leaders the project could take three to four years, in part because the Black Horse Pike is an evacuation route that cannot simply be closed during construction.

“They do think it'll be three or four years because it's an evacuation route, and they do not want to shut the whole road down,” Polistina said during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show.

“So the Black Horse Pike is going to have some impact for several years here as they elevate that road and make it more resilient so we don't get all that flooding, which currently shuts down the Black Horse Pike.”

The lengthy construction period is consistent with NJDOT's project documents, which identify the work as the Route 40 Atlantic County Drainage project, running from Naples Avenue to east of Bayport Drive and including the ramp to West End Avenue in Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic City. NJDOT's capital program describes the project as raising approximately one mile of Route 40/322 and adding new pavement, curbs, sidewalks, relocated utilities and drainage improvements.

More Than $40 Million in Work

South Jersey NewsBeat previously reported that South State Inc. of Bridgeton submitted the apparent low bid for the project when bids were opened May 21.

NJDOT's bid-opening records confirm the contract is No. 060083710 and covers the corridor from Naples Avenue to east of Bayport Drive and the West End Avenue ramp.

NJDOT's capital program has allocated $43.2 million for construction, including $23.2 million through the federal National Highway Performance Program and $20 million through the federal RAISE program.

As of Wednesday night, the project was not listed on NJDOT's publicly available fiscal 2026 awards page, so South Jersey NewsBeat is not describing South State as the formally awarded contractor.

Polistina, however, told AC Mike that officials were informed a contractor is in place and that another public information session is expected with Egg Harbor Township officials before construction.

“They are going to do another public information session with the Egg Harbor Township officials just to brief the public and the township on what the project will entail,” Polistina said.

Two Major Route 40 Projects

Adding to the potential confusion for drivers, this is not the only major NJDOT project affecting Route 40.

South State is already the contractor on a separate $31.19 million Route 40 pavement-resurfacing project extending from Hamilton Common Drive to West End Avenue through Hamilton Township, Egg Harbor Township, Pleasantville and Atlantic City.

NJDOT awarded that contract to South State in September 2024.

That means motorists could encounter work associated with two different major state projects along the same corridor — the existing resurfacing contract and the new flood-resilience project.

The drainage project is the one intended to address a particularly vulnerable stretch of Route 40/322 approaching Atlantic City, where flooding can disrupt one of the primary routes into and out of the resort.

Changes Could Also Be Coming Near Former Shore Mall

The drainage project wasn't the only Black Horse Pike development Polistina discussed Wednesday.

He said NJDOT representatives recently met with Egg Harbor Township officials about longstanding traffic issues surrounding the former Shore Mall property, now known as Harbor Square.

According to Polistina, officials want to relocate a traffic signal in a way that would improve access to shopping centers on both sides of the highway and make left turns easier.

“We need to be able to make left-hand turns out of those shopping centers on both sides,” Polistina said.

He said NJDOT required a traffic study before the proposal could advance and that the study has now been completed.

“The meeting yesterday was to meet with Egg Harbor Township's traffic consultant, Remington & Vernick, and to present the results of that traffic study to the Department of Transportation,” Polistina said.

He said NJDOT officials indicated they expect to spend about a month reviewing the study.

“We expect to hear back within a month if there's anything else we need to do or whether we're on our way with doing full plans now to get that intersection relocated,” he said.

The township's planning documents provide additional context for the longstanding concerns surrounding the former Shore Mall area and Black Horse Pike traffic. Egg Harbor Township has previously identified transportation access around the commercial property and unsafe movements along the highway as planning issues.

No final approval for the proposed signal relocation was identified by South Jersey NewsBeat.

Route 152 Signal Also Being Studied

Another potential traffic change involves the eastern end of Egg Harbor Township.

Polistina said officials discussed the possibility of NJDOT installing a traffic signal at Route 152 and Anchorage Drive, near the Anchorage Point development on the route toward Longport.

He said NJDOT would study the intersection.

That issue predates this week's meeting.

Egg Harbor Township records show officials previously discussed asking the state to evaluate whether a signal is warranted at Route 152 and Anchorage Drive. Township Administrator Peter Miller said at the time that NJDOT had agreed to evaluate the location, but questions remained over how much Egg Harbor Township might be required to contribute toward the design and installation.

That signal also has not been approved for construction.

Years of Changes Ahead

Taken together, the projects could mean significant changes along several of Egg Harbor Township's busiest state highways over the next several years.

The largest is the Route 40/322 drainage project — a more than $40 million effort aimed at solving a flooding problem that has repeatedly affected access between the mainland and Atlantic City.

But the timeline means the solution will not come overnight.

For motorists, Polistina's message Wednesday was essentially that construction is getting closer — and once it begins, the Black Horse Pike could remain a work zone for years.

NJDOT is expected to hold another public information session before the major drainage work begins, according to Polistina.

State Sen. Vince Polistina discussed the projects Wednesday on The AC Mike Lopez Show, heard weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.