Text Version:
EGG HARBOR TWP. - For the businesses along Tilton Road and their customers, they last few months have been a bumpy ride.
"It's been a mess. Its pretty hard to explain. Everybody is just trying to get in and out of this place, its not easy," said Owner of Hambro's House of Music Lee Hambro.
And after a two-month delay caused by Hurricane Sandy, the county is hoping to complete the work on Tilton Road this fall after the project began back in July of 2012.
"The county portion of the work is substantially completed, has been completed for a while here," said Atlantic County Engineer Joseph D'Abundo.
"Right now, South Jersey Gas is trying to put their upgrades into the road prior to the paving of the highway."
The county will place a five-year moratorium on Tilton Road work following this project. The completion of the work on Tilton Road will overlap with the start of a project to widen the intersection of Mill and Fire Roads.
"We hope to be able to have it out for bid in June, awarded in July and have work start in August," said D'Abundo.
Officials say the project took sometime getting off the ground as the approval of several government agencies was required prior to work starting.
"We fell both under DEP requirements and Pineland requirements for the work which is why its taking so long to get out of the permitting process," said D'Abundo.
And while the Tilton Road project may have caused headaches for some business owners, stores along Fire Road are taking an optimistic approach to the work.
"Hopefully people will stop and notice us more so it might be a beneficial thing as well," said Manager of Fro Me a Party, Brittani Froumy.
D'Abundo says work on the intersection will last nine months with the majority of it taking place without the need for detours.
"They're a necessary evil, that they have to get done. We appreciate the publics patience in getting this done," said D'Abundo.
"And we're just hoping its going to be a lot better for the traveling public once these projects are done."