County and local officials ceremonially broke ground this morning on a yearlong roadway improvement project that will touch three Camden County communities.
The $10.7-million Kings Highway roadway reconstruction project will overhaul about two-and-a-half miles of the county road from Market Street in Mount Ephraim, through Haddon Heights and down to Hopkins Road in Audubon.
The work will include roadway resurfacing from Market Street to Hillside Avenue in Mount Ephraim, full-depth reconstruction from Hillside to West Atlantic Avenue in Haddon Heights, and resurfacing from West Atlantic to Hopkins Road in Audubon.
Along the way, construction crews will rehabilitate the existing storm sewer system, and clean, line, and laterally replace the existing sanitary sewer system beneath the roadway.
The roadway will be topped off with new hot-mix asphalt pavement, concrete vertical curbs, sidewalks, and ADA-accessible ramps; and new traffic striping, signage, and raised pavement markers.
Camden County Director of Public Works Bob Harris said the work will begin at Market Street in Mount Ephraim, taking about three months to rebuild one side of each segment of the roadway at a time.
“[We’ll have] a full mill and pave before the end of next summer,” Harris said. “The bulk of the work is removing the concrete road.”
Camden County engineer Jim Winckowski said that two-way vehicle traffic will flow freely throughout the length of the project.
“There won’t be a blockage,” Winckowski said.
The contractor of record for the project is South State, Inc. of Bridgeton.
On Monday morning, the mayors of Audubon, Haddon Heights, and Mount Ephraim gathered in the 900 block of Kings Highway in Haddon Heights to announce the project.
Haddon Heights Mayor Zach Houck thanked the county for dedicating “the resources, funds, time, and energy to do something amazing for the town and the region.”
Houck said the project will benefit not only residents and business owners in Haddon Heights, but the estimated 1,000 commuters who travel Kings Highway daily along the affected stretch.
“This will help continue to usher in economic development and growth for the community,” Houck said. “It’s the largest project that I’ve been a part of.”
Mount Ephraim Mayor Susan Carney said that the improvements will “relieve motorists of rough rides” along the roadway that effectively comprises its main street, but which is so deteriorated that it “sometimes felt like [riding in] a horse and buggy.”
“There was this overwhelming need to see positive change,” Carney said. “This project is going to bring that about.
“Now we can prioritize enhancement, redevelopment, and attract new businesses to serve our residents,” she said.
“It all works hand in hand.”
Audubon Mayor Rob Jakubowski said that the infusion of cash from the county coffers meant his municipality can focus on other infrastructure improvements, including bonding to pay for the replacement of an expanded sewer line beneath West Merchant Street.
“This has been discussed for many years, and Audubon was a stumbling block,” Jakubowski said.
“Doing the design work alone was going to save us money. Paying for the sewer was a win.”
Houck, too, said the commitment of dollars from Camden County will allow Haddon Heights to pave other roads, including Maple Avenue, High Street from second through fourth, and Garden Street.
Carney said Mount Ephraim will now be able to direct its dollars to its new community center, as well as maintaining its existing level of services in the borough.
“Being a small town, we don’t have some of the resources,” Carney said. “We’re just 2,000 homes.
“We have to prioritize resources, add curb appeal, and focus on blighted areas.”
As part of the reconstruction, Jakubowski said that residents will have the opportunity to replace trees affected by the work at their curb strips. Sustainable Audubon is also working on establishing a greenhouse in which to cultivate seedlings from some of its old-growth trees.
Businesses like Brooklyn Original Pizzeria in Haddon Heights will remain open throughout construction.
Owner Filippo Sparacio came in on his day off to feed those gathered complementary pizza slices, and offer a few remarks.
“Thank you for investing in our community,” Sparacio said.
“It’s going to be some inconvenience, but we’ll work together to get through it. Everybody working together, it works out for everyone.”
