Kurtz: Major Pacific Avenue Reconstruction Could Begin This Fall in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY — A major reconstruction of Pacific Avenue could get underway this fall as Atlantic City moves closer to awarding a multimillion-dollar contract to complete work along one of the resort's most heavily traveled streets.

Sixth Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz provided an update Tuesday during an appearance on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND, saying the contract is on the agenda for Wednesday's City Council meeting.

Kurtz said residents and visitors have already gotten a preview of what the improved Pacific Avenue will eventually look like, with sections of the street recently completed.

“One of the things on the agenda is a contract to award Pacific Avenue,” Kurtz said. “A lot of the listeners have noticed a couple of pieces have been paved already, which is fantastic.”

One completed section is near Albany Avenue and the Knife and Fork Inn.

“You get a little teaser of how nice Pacific Avenue is going to be when you're rounding the bend at Knife and Fork,” Kurtz said.

Another portion has been completed farther north near the casino district.

“If you're there around Caesars, you see, wow, it's really nice,” Kurtz said.

‘This Fall It's Going to Start Rolling’

The next phase would be much more extensive.

“Contract being awarded, multimillion dollars for the rest of Pacific,” Kurtz said.

There are still approvals and potential complications that could affect the timeline, but Kurtz said the project appears positioned to begin relatively soon.

“So when it gets awarded, the state signs off on it,” Kurtz said. “That looks, pending any type of goofball, curveball things, that looks like this fall it's going to start rolling.”

The work comes as motorists are already navigating a significant amount of road construction throughout Atlantic City.

Host Mike Lopez noted the detours and paving projects underway around town, saying it was good to finally see long-discussed improvements coming to fruition.

Kurtz said the seemingly piecemeal approach to Pacific Avenue actually has a practical explanation.

Why Were Some Sections Done First?

Rather than waiting to undertake every section of Pacific Avenue as part of one massive project, Kurtz said the city has taken advantage of opportunities to complete sections when underlying infrastructure work made it sensible.

“Everything doesn't have to be a master plan and a strategic plan,” Kurtz said. “Sometimes you have to be like Peyton Manning, and you've got to read the defense.”

He continued the football analogy, saying government sometimes has to make adjustments as conditions become clear.

“You've got to read that defensive line, make some audible or Omaha calls right there on the line of scrimmage, and adjust nimbly based on details,” Kurtz said.

In the case of Pacific Avenue, those details are often underground.

“There's a whole bunch of stuff that is under the surface when it comes to roads,” Kurtz said.

That means checking far more than the condition of the asphalt.

“At the very least at that moment you should be doing a thorough check on all your different utilities, the condition of the ancillary pieces, how drainage works, the stability of the road underneath,” Kurtz said.

Atlantic City's location on a barrier island adds another consideration.

“Is sand shifting underneath because we are an island?” Kurtz said. “So there's a bunch of stuff to check up on.”

Underground Work Led to Earlier Paving

Kurtz said extensive subsurface work was required in the portions of Pacific Avenue that have already been completed.

Atlantic City ordinances require that when a certain amount of a street is disturbed, the roadway must be restored curb to curb, he said.

“In those cases, those two areas, there was extensive work that needed to be done under the surface,” Kurtz said. “We have ordinances in place that if you disturb a certain amount of street, you've got to do it curb to curb.”

Kurtz said he would have to verify the financing but believes utility work may have helped contribute to at least some of the earlier improvements.

Regardless of who pays for a particular section, he said it makes sense to complete the road when major underground work has already torn it up.

“If you're disturbing the road, finish it up when it happens,” Kurtz said. “And so that's why there were two pieces that were done, and I'm glad that that happened.”

If the remaining approvals proceed as anticipated, Kurtz said Atlantic City motorists could begin seeing the larger Pacific Avenue project take shape this fall.