SJTA looks at expressway spur to Atlantic City Airport

South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) who operate the Atlantic City Expressway and the Atlantic City Airport are looking at construction of a direct elevated spur connector between the two. The airport is to the immediate east side of the Expressway just north of its junction with the Garden State Parkway and is 15km (9 miles) northwest of downtown Atlantic City.

Access is presently by Exit 9 at Delilah Road with a signalized intersection of the AC Expressway and then via a five legged traffic circle to the airport's Amelia Earhart Road. Earhart (1897-1937) was a pioneer aviator and writer who disappeared without trace over the Pacific attempting to fly around the globe.

The Airport which has seven aircraft gates handles an average 2300 passengers/day. Its main carrier, Spirit Airlines offers flights to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Myers, Florida and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

Spirit was due to begin a Boston-Atlantic City service earlier this year.

The airport caters mainly to private and corporate planes.

The airport costs SJTA money. Last year operating expenses of the airport were $12.6m and revenues only $9.1m.

The spur would be another investment, a six story parking garage having opened a year or so back, plus extensive improvements made to the terminal building.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-10-09