Atlantic City International Airport (KACY), New Jersey

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — The South Jersey Transportation Authority on Tuesday awarded a $245,000 contract to a Philadelphia firm for a new roof at Atlantic City International Airport.

Work was deemed an emergency necessity after damage was caused by a severe storm known as a derecho in June. Funding for the replacement was redirected from the authority’s capital budget last month.

Union Roofing Contractors Inc. of Philadelphia was awarded the contract for the work that should begin before the end of the year. The firm provided the lowest of three bids received on Tuesday.

Thomas Company Inc., of Egg Harbor Township, bid $297,500, and United States Roofing Corp., of Norristown, Pa., bid $328,800, according to a resolution authorizing the contract.

Last month, SJTA opted to forego immediate plans to convert the Atlantic City Expressway to all electronic tolling, an $18.3 million project. That funding will instead finance the roof replacement, an addition to the State Police call center at Farley Plaza, and the third phase of the expressway widening.

Expected to cost $15 million, the third and final phase of the expressway project will add a third westbound lane between mileposts 25 and 31. That section of the road extends approximately from just beyond the Farley Plaza rest stop to the exit for Route 73 in Winslow Township, Camden County.  Bids and proposals for that work have been received, and the authority plans to award a contract for the work next month, SJTA acting Executive Director Sam Donelson said in his monthly report at Tuesday’s board meeting. Construction is expected to start by early 2013 and will take about a year to complete.