Part Of Bay Avenue In Ocean City Closed For Emergency Water Main Repairs

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Part of Bay Avenue is closed for emergency water main repairs, which will begin at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning, Aug. 15, Ocean City officials announced on Monday. Work is expected to last between two and three weeks. Service interruption is not anticipated during repairs.

Bay Avenue remains closed between 25th Street and 29th Street during repairs. Traffic is being detoured to West Avenue.

The Ocean City Airport Diner, Ocean City Municipal Airport and Ocean City Municipal Golf Course remain open, with access from the north via Simpson Avenue and 26th Street. Detour signs are in place.

The Ocean City Police Department is working with the contractor to make at least one lane of access available as soon as possible.

The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority (CMCMUA) was first notified of a wastewater leak late Friday morning, according to a letter from CMCMUA Director Joseph Rizzuto to the city.

It was determined that the leak was coming from the CMCMUA’s 20-inch cement lined main that runs east on the 2500 block of Bay Avenue.

The main conveys wastewater from the CMCMUA’s 3rd Street and 20th Street Pumping Stations to the 32nd Street Pumping Station. At no time was there a threat to public health or safety, Rizzuto said.

CMCMUA’s contractor Lafayette Utility Construction began working on the issue immediately, and had the main exposed and the source of the leak determined by the evening. However, they were unable to repair the main, so work was suspended while they attempted to determine the best way to move forward. On Monday morning, it was determined they would repair 400 feet of pipe, beginning Tuesday morning.

“I would like to personally thank all of the residents on the 2500 Block of Bay Ave. Over the last several days you have been extremely patient and accommodating to me and all of the CMCMUA staff that were involved up until this point,” Rizzuto said. “You have been particularly helpful with allowing access on your property when required. Please rest assured that the CMCMUA and its contractors will restore any and all damaged or disturbed areas and items back to their original state prior to this incident in a timely manner.”

Patch file photo