Wildwood Boardwalk Is Getting 14 Feet Wider in Latest $4.9 Million Reconstruction

WILDWOOD — While neighboring North Wildwood prepares to rebuild two sections of its Boardwalk this offseason, the City of Wildwood is launching a major project of its own — including a nearly $4.9 million reconstruction that will make part of the Boardwalk 14 feet wider.

A large construction zone stretching from Hand Avenue through Cresse Avenue is now closed to the public as Wildwood moves ahead with another phase of its multiyear effort to rebuild and modernize the iconic wooden walkway.

The city announced that the Boardwalk between Bennett and Cresse avenues closes Monday, Oct. 5, and is scheduled to remain closed through May 8, 2027. The adjoining Hand-to-Bennett section is already closed through the same date.

The work is part of Wildwood's 2026 Boardwalk Rehabilitation Project, Phase 8, 8E and Re-Deck Phase 1.

City commissioners awarded L. Feriozzi Concrete Co. a contract of up to $4,862,623.50 for the project.

But this phase involves considerably more than replacing worn boards.

Boardwalk to expand by 14 feet

Project documents call for a 14-foot-wide extension of the Boardwalk between Hand and Cresse avenues, meaning visitors returning next season should find a noticeably wider walkway along that stretch.

The project also includes demolition and replacement of existing timber portions of the Boardwalk, along with new decking, railings, lighting, security cameras, stairs and ramps.

Existing concrete trolley slabs are also slated for removal as part of the reconstruction.

Another component of the project calls for construction of a new Boardwalk pavilion.

The widening is particularly notable because it changes the physical dimensions of the Boardwalk rather than simply replacing aging infrastructure.

More than $500,000 in new decking

Wildwood is also making a substantial investment in the material visitors will actually walk on.

The city initially authorized the purchase of $460,480 in Cumaru decking from 84 Lumber for the project. Additional material was subsequently required, bringing the decking purchase to approximately $546,820, according to municipal procurement records.

Cumaru, a dense tropical hardwood, has been used during other recent phases of Wildwood's Boardwalk reconstruction.

Another section closes Oct. 13

The Hand-to-Cresse construction zone isn't the only portion of the Boardwalk affected this offseason.

The Boardwalk between Oak and Maple avenues is scheduled to remain accessible through Oct. 13 before closing for re-decking.

Wildwood says that section could remain closed through May 8, although it may reopen sooner if the work is completed ahead of schedule.

That work is primarily a re-decking project, while the southern Hand-to-Cresse project involves the more extensive reconstruction and widening.

Wildwood and North Wildwood rebuilding simultaneously

The work means visitors will see significant Boardwalk construction underway in both Wildwood and North Wildwood this offseason.

South Jersey NewsBeat recently reported that North Wildwood plans to reconstruct two sections of its Boardwalk simultaneously, with work beginning around 23rd Avenue and another section around 16th Avenue.

Those are separate municipal projects from the work now underway in Wildwood.

Taken together, however, they amount to substantial changes along different portions of the Wildwoods Boardwalk before the 2027 summer season.

State money supporting Boardwalk improvements

Wildwood's current project comes amid a broader infusion of state money into Shore boardwalk infrastructure.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs awarded Wildwood $8.27 million in 2024 through the state's Boardwalk Preservation Fund, part of a $100 million statewide program supporting boardwalk rehabilitation projects in Shore communities.

In May, the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority also approved $1 million for a Wildwood Boardwalk rehabilitation project between Burk and Cresse avenues.

Those awards are part of Wildwood's broader Boardwalk improvement effort. Public records reviewed by South Jersey NewsBeat do not establish that the entire $4.86 million construction contract for the current phase is being paid from any one of those funding sources.

Target: May 8

For residents, businesses and visitors, the most important date is now May 8, 2027.

That's the city's announced reopening date for the Hand-to-Cresse construction zone, giving crews roughly seven months to complete the work before the summer tourism season.

When it reopens, visitors should see more than fresh boards.

One of the southern sections of the Wildwood Boardwalk will be 14 feet wider, with new infrastructure and a new pavilion as the city's years-long Boardwalk reconstruction continues.

Until then, visitors should expect the Hand-to-Cresse area to remain inaccessible, with the Oak-to-Maple section joining the construction closures beginning Oct. 13.