Wildwood, North Wildwood plan boardwalk overhaul, report says

    A crowded boardwalk in Wildwood

    A crowded boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey. (Bill Barlow for WHYY)

    The boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood is aging and in need of replacement, officials in the two resort communities say. 

    Plans are underway to replace large sections of wooden planks and concrete supports that comprise the famous boardwalk, The Press of Atlantic City reports

    And it won’t be cheap. 

    North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello tells the newspaper that it’s a priority, costing up to $1 million to replace one block stretch of boardwalk, which also includes utilities that run underneath. But he says the municipality would complete work in phases to avoid a significantly hit on taxpayers. 

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    Last fall, Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. called for a $20 million boardwalk upgrade that includes replacing the concrete substructure, Shore News Today reported then. 

    Troiano told the site that “curling” planks are hazardous, adding that the substructure needs repair. 

    “The boards will pop right up and you end up with a real mess on your hands, people tripping and falling…people are trying to sue us all the time,” he said.

    Both towns conduct regular maintenance along the boardwalk.

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