Ocean City Boardwalk Reopens Following Reconstruction

Ocean City, NJ -- It’s not quite summer yet, but in some ways, it feels like it is.

For one thing, temperatures exceeded 70 degrees this week, and the warmer weather will only continue next week.

Additionally, the Ocean City Boardwalk is open once again.

The Boardwalk reopened on Thursday following the completion of the third phase of a reconstruction project between Plaza Place (just north of Seventh Street) and Eighth Street. Runners and bicyclists are no longer being detoured, city officials said Friday morning.

Three phases of a multiyear project to completely rebuild the boardwalk between Fifth Street and 12th Street are now complete.

The project, which began in 2013 and takes place in the offseason, will continue from Eighth Street to 10th Street in 2016-17, and 10th Street to 12th Street in 2017-18. Work on the boardwalk ramps between Eighth Street and 12th Street will take place in 2018-19.

Sections of decking were built off-site lowered into place by a crane. The decking is made from southern yellow pine with a thickness of 3 inches, about twice that of traditional boardwalk planks.

New pavilions on the ocean side of the boardwalk at 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th streets are in the permitting stage with the state Department of Environmental Protection. Construction of the pavilions could begin during the next phase of boardwalk reconstruction in the off-season of 2016-17.