STAFFORD – The second westbound lane of the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project has been re-opened, according to a press release from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
This doesn’t mean, however, that all construction is finished. The contractor, George Harms Construction Co., will be periodically closing a single lane of Route 72 westbound on the newly reconstructed Old Causeway Bridge between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday for final paving over the next month. Two lanes of westbound traffic will be open on the Old Causeway Bridge on weekends. Eastbound traffic will remain on the New Causeway Bridge. The goal is to have the paving done, and all lanes open by Memorial Day, the release stated.
This is all part of a 312 million Route 72/Manahawkin Bay Bridge project that began in 2013 and is expected to continue through 2021. The 3-mile long causeway links Stafford on the mainland with Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island.
The new bridge, finished in 2016, has been the main throughway on or off the island. Once the original Causeway Bridge is completed, it will handle westbound traffic and the new bridge will handle eastbound.
The next major components will be
- Safety and operational issues at the intersection of Route 72 and Marsha Drive in Stafford
- Drainage in Ship Bottom and Long Beach Island
- Two-way traffic returning to Central Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard
- Traffic signal improvements at 8th and 9th Streets
For updated information and travel info, visit 511nj.org.
