(Camden, NJ) – Outside of IPAK Inc. on South 16th Street, Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, Commissioners Louis Cappelli Jr. and Al Dyer along with Camden City Council members announced a major initiative to improve and enhance roadways in Camden City and throughout the county. Spring, which officially started on Monday, marks the beginning of construction season and both entities will have crews working throughout the county for the next six months.
Surveys of city and county residents have shown that repairing roads and bridges are a high priority and to address this issue, the commissioner director and mayor will unveil short-term and long-term plans to improve Camden’s infrastructure.
“Standing out on 16th Street, which has been a mess for the last 20 years, shows our commitment to this community and to putting our money where our mouth is when we talk about rebuilding our county,” Cappelli said. “These investments are critical for us to ensure Camden County continues to be a special place to live and we know this is what residents want us to focus ourefforts on. Additionally, we want to support our business community as well that need paved roads to conduct business.”
This year the city’s Department of Public Works has repaired 5,822 potholes and continues to look for innovative ways to rebuild city streets. Part of that process will entail bringing in Patch Management’s ‘Pothole Killer’ machines, something the county has used successfully for several years, to fill more than 450 potholes around the city.
Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen discussed his goals for improving the city’s roadways.
“I am pleased to announce that the City of Camden street resurfacing and pothole repair programs are well underway,” said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. “The city and its partners remain committed to improving conditions by implementing our comprehensive roadway resurfacing plan. The strategy has been incredibly effective. The city has been working closely with Camden County to resurface both major thoroughfares and local roadways. Some of the streets have not been paved in over 50 years. Since 2021, the city paved more than 70 roads and DPW has filled thousands of potholes. In addition, major arteries like 27th Street are in the process of complete reconstruction. Camden residents, local business owners, community stakeholders, and visitors alike are recognizing the positive changes taking place citywide. The millions of dollars of new investment are building confidence throughout the Camden community. We are getting the job done and expect even more progress in 2023.”
The Camden County Department of Public Works has more than $80 million in projects being designed in the city of Camden this year. This includes the reengineering of both Market and Federal Streets for resurfacing and changing both thoroughfares from one-way to two-way streets and significant enhancements to the drainage and streetscapes of both streets. In addition, this includes more than $42 million in construction being done this year throughout the county in road and bridge work.
Congressman Donald Norcross discussed the importance of improving roadways.
“Fixing the roads and investing in our transportation infrastructure not only improves quality of life, but also enhances safety, saves working families money, and supports economic growth and development,” Congressman Donald Norcross said. “I commend Camden City and Camden County on their ongoing efforts to invest in infrastructure and improve our communities. Federal dollars and resources are critical to supporting these projects, and I will continue to deliver for South Jersey as we rebuild our infrastructure.”
Camden residents can report potholes in their neighborhood by contacting the Mayor’s Office at (856) 757-7200 or mayor@ci.camden.nj.us or by contacting the Camden Department of Public Works at (856) 757-7132, (856) 757-7034 or publicworks@ci.camden.nj.us. Residents can also report potholes on county roads by going to www.camdencounty.com/service/public-works/county-road-report-form/ or by calling (856) 566-2980.