Wildwood Boardwalk Reconstruction Project Phase 7 Details
The wooden planks of the Wildwood boardwalk, long worn by generations of vacationers, are set to undergo yet another transformation.
City officials announced that the next stage of the reconstruction project, Phase VII, will begin later this year, focusing on the section between Burk Avenue and Hand Avenue.
Wildwood Boardwalk Reconstruction Project Phase 7 Details
The latest phase continues a multi-year, multi-million-dollar effort to restore and reimagine one of the Jersey Shore’s most iconic promenades.
For more than a century, the Wildwood boardwalk has been the pulse of summer on the Cape May barrier island, a two-mile stretch of wooden decking that carries families, beachgoers, and the legendary Tram Car.
But after decades of salt air, storms, and heavy foot traffic, much of its substructure has deteriorated.
Past city administrations often relied on patchwork repairs, swapping out sections of decking each winter while leaving aging foundations in place.
By 2018, large portions of the boardwalk showed signs of failure, planks buckling under tramcar traffic, concrete slabs shifting, and railings rusting in the sea air.
The city eventually opted for a full reconstruction in phases, starting in the early 2020s. Phase III, near Cedar Avenue, introduced new timber piles and framing.
Phase IV carried that momentum north, while Phase V, between Schellenger and Spicer Avenues, brought extensive repairs to both the wooden surface and the underlying concrete structure.
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The most visible progress came in Phase VI, from Spicer to Montgomery Avenue, where crews not only refurbished the boardwalk, but also made it wider and added pavilions.
Work on that one began in October 2024 and was largely completed before the 2025 summer season, funded in part by the state’s $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund.
Phase VII: Burk to Hand Avenue
Now, attention turns to the boardwalk’s southern end.
Phase VII will stretch from Burk Avenue to Hand Avenue, a section that runs just south of the convention center to just past the Wildwoods Sign.
Like earlier phases, the project calls for a full demolition of decking and substructure, followed by the installation of timber piles, girders, framing, and decking. City engineers say the design mirrors Phase VI to ensure visual and structural continuity.
Officials also plan to replace railings, lighting, and ADA-compliant access points, while strengthening the tramcar route that runs the boardwalk’s full length.
This means, that after this phase is done, we will only have from Hand Avenue to Cresse Avenue before the entire Wildwood part of the Wildwood Boardwalk will be fully refurbished.
And for those asking about North Wildwood, they will be starting their own project sometime this fall as well.
Crews in North Wildwood will rip up 16th-18th Street and do the same refurbishment as listed above.
The major difference is that they are started at the end of the boardwalk and will make their way to 26th Street.