From The Press of Atlantic City — Atlantic City Expressway operators took a major step on Tuesday towards finishing a transportation project that some Atlantic County municipal officials say is crucial to their economic development plans.

The South Jersey Transportation Authority, or SJTA, awarded $8.6 million in contracts to build a full, tolled interchange at Route 50 and the expressway in Hamilton Township.

SJTA Chief Engineer Sam Donelson said work could begin next month, pending final project approval from the state Pinelands Commission. That approval is expected from the commission next month, he said.

The construction contract calls for the work to be completed in 18 months.

Officials in nearby Egg Harbor City, which has pushed for the full interchange for decades, were happy at the news.

That’s great, said Egg Harbor City Mayor Joseph Kuehner.

Kuehner said the contract award will make it easier to attract new commercial and residential development, and possibly stimulate some development plans put on hold because of the sluggish economy.

It makes a big difference, Kuehner said. We have developers here very interested in working with us. This might help us push it along a little bit more.

Meanwhile, Atlantic County officials believe the full interchange will help to relieve traffic forced to use other expressway interchanges – such as the one near Hamilton Mall in Hamilton Township – to reach their destinations.

Currently, only eastbound traffic can leave the expressway and get onto Route 50. Drivers coming off Route 50 can only enter the expressway’s westbound lane.

Under a $7.7 million contract awarded by SJTA during a meeting at the Salem County Vocational Technical School here on Tuesday, the Hackensack firm of J. Fletcher Creamer and Son. Inc. will build new eastbound and westbound ramps. The contract also covers retaining walls to minimize impact to nearby wetlands, two traffic signals where the ramps meet Route 50, ramp lighting, roadway drainage, infiltration basins and landscaping.

SJTA also awarded a $995,000 contract to Greenman-Pederson Inc. of Lebanon. Donelson said the company will serve as the project’s construction and inspection manager.

When completed, the new interchange will feature cashless tolling. That’s part of an SJTA plan to make all expressway tolls cashless.

SJTA Executive Director Bart Mueller said Tuesday the agency is still working on that plan.