Atlantic City Gets $20M In Federal Money To Combat Flooding Along Route 40

Atlantic City is getting $20 million to reconstruct and raise Route 40 as it approaches the city to end flooding that makes the major road and evacuation route dangerous during severe weather, federal officials said.

Jon Craig

08/11/2022 11:03 a.m.

The grant is among $2.2 billion in federal money for 166 projects nationwide in the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation on Thursday, Aug. 11.

A higher Route 40, combined with an 800-foot extension of the seawall, and upgraded drainage systems, are designed to withstand severe storm surges and prevent major vehicle crashes that occur on a slippery, flooded surface, the grant says.

"Route 40 provides direct access to Atlantic City’s casino industry, which provides thousands of jobs," the DOT wrote.

The project also is expected to lengthen the life of the reconstructed roadway.

"It will improve Route 40’s ability to serve as an evacuation route during extreme weather," the DOT said.

In a separate federal grant, the Federal Highway Administration awarded $8.75 million to the South Jersey Transportation Authority for the Smart and Connected Atlantic City Expressway deploying cellular vehicle-to-everything technologies to support future connected and automated vehicles.

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