Remington, Vernick & Walberg's color-coded map of the streets that will be reconstructed. Dark blue areas began in fall of last year and into spring of this year. Light blue sections are slated for spring and fall of this year. Grey and green are the second phases and won’t begin until 2009 or 2010.

NORTH WILDWOOD — When well over 100,000 visitors come flooding into the city on a holiday weekend in the summer, very few of them will probably think about the infrastructure of the streets they are driving on.

But luckily for those visitors, said Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd), “the government here does.”

To help fund the ongoing street initiative, Mayor Bill Henfey, Council members Kellyann Tolomeo and Rick Ogen joined United States Department of Agriculture officials and LoBiondo May 9 to accept a $6.1 million grant and loan combination. The grant totals $1.5 million, while the amount of the loan is $4.5 million.

“City leaders have made a strong commitment to complete infrastructure improvements in North Wildwood, and this grand and loan from the USDA really helps us with our efforts and saves North Wildwood taxpayers a tremendous amount of money,” said Henfey.

“It is difficult to spend money on things that people generally don’t see,” LoBiondo said of the infrastructure work.
Henfey explained that a street reconstruction doesn’t just involve the surface. The work entails concrete, storm drainage, water sewer and gas lines where necessary.

“We’re not just paving it to make it look pretty,” he told the Congressman.

“We’re doing this for the long haul. This is a major investment,” Henfey said of his street program. “And I don’t think any other community is being as aggressive as we are.”

The city’s streets here aren’t quite paved with gold, but since 2006 city officials have set aside between $3 and $4 million in funding toward major street reconstruction projects. To date, and including the funding of this grant and loan from the USDA, the city has committed approximately $21.3 million toward its streets.

Currently, 39 city blocks of streets have been started or completed in the city, with more streets earmarked for construction in 2009 and 2010. However, city officials have said that reconstruction work will not be conducted during the summer, unless an emergency situation warrants it.

Contact Suit at: (609) 886-8600 ext. 25 or lsuit@cmcherald.com.