Absecon says Shore Road plans cleared for bid; construction could begin this summer

The Absecon City Council was told on Feb. 19 that Atlantic County had signed the Shore Road plans and the project will move to public bidding, an engineering representative said.

Engineer Nick reported to the council that "they signed the plans" and the city will return the signed documents to purchasing, which will advertise bids for four weeks. He said the current schedule anticipates an award in May, a pre-construction meeting in June and construction possibly starting in July. "We're estimating about 7 months of construction," he added, while noting the city may be able to compress the schedule.

Why it matters: Shore Road is a locally important flooding and access corridor; engineering said completion by the end of the calendar year is possible and completing work before fall and winter high tides is a priority. Council members flagged the trade-off between summer traffic detours and completing the work before the season when flooding increases.

Details: Nick told the council that after purchasing advertises, the process includes bid advertisement (four weeks), bid opening, a likely award in May and a pre-construction meeting in June. He said construction could begin in July, with an estimated seven months to complete the work depending on schedule compression and permitting.

What comes next: Staff will sign and return the plans to purchasing to begin the bidding process. Council members and staff said they will coordinate public notices and detour planning as the procurement and award proceed.

Attribution: Quotes and factual timeline in this story are from the city's engineer (Nick) during the council meeting.