With the arrival of new materials, work has resumed on the renovation of the three-block stretch of the Wildwoods Boardwalk between Oak and Maple Avenues.
According to Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron, the project had been delayed due to supply chain issues, but it remains on target for completion before Memorial Day Weekend.
“Ideally, we’d be ahead of the game and wrapping up sooner, but the realities of the world pushed us back a little and forced us to make some decisions,” Byron explained. “I know it’s crunch time, and I fully understand the concerns of the people and the businesses affected.
“We’re moving ahead and I am confident that we’re on track to have the Boardwalk fully open by mid-to-late-May, in time for the start of the summer season.”
The present work constitutes the final stage of what Byron calls “Phase 1” of a multi-block, multi-year refurbishment of nearly the entire Boardwalk. Work began last November after it was determined that the areas between Oak and Maple Avenues were most in need of attention.
After the over-century-old promenade’s superstructure was firmed up and a new base was laid down, all that remained to finish was the decking.
“That’s where we ran into a problem,” said Byron. “But every problem has a solution.”
Originally, officials had planned to use Cumaru, a durable Brazilian wood, to top off the new wooden walkway. With shipping delays pushing completion of the phase potentially as far back as mid-June, the decision was made to switch to pine.
“The change was made out of necessity,” Byron continued. “The Cumaru hadn’t shipped, still had to pass through customs… you’re looking at a further delay of who-knows-how long. That’s no good. Pine wasn’t our first choice, but it’s a good, more readily-available alternative.
“Aesthetically, you’re not going to notice much of a difference.”
Byron noted that the projects’ engineers initially gave the Cumaru decking a 40-50-year “life expectancy,” while pine fell into the 25-30-year range.
“That’s a trade-off we have to make for this year, to get this done,” he said. “Also, those estimates had not factored in the complete removal of the concrete pathways for the tram cars, something we decided on later on.
“Not only will the long stretches of wood for the trams look so much better, there will be no gaps between the boards and concrete. This will create less stress on the entire structure and make it safer for foot traffic, whereas we’ve had so many complaints in recent years. Overall, we’re not sacrificing anything.”
Byron confirmed the planned usage of Cumaru wood for the future phases of the Boardwalk’s refurbishment. Work is expected to commence on Phase 2, north of Maple Avenue, sometime this fall.
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