MANAHAWKIN – Motorists take note: the Route 72 jughandle to Doc Cramer Blvd. will be closed overnight for approximately two weeks while the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) continues work on the road project.
NJDOT officials recently announced that the Route 72 westbound jughandle to Doc Cramer Boulevard will be closed and detoured overnight beginning Monday, January 13, from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next day. New Jersey Natural Gas will be installing a gas main as part of the Route 72 East Road project.
A detour will be marked before the jughandle. The jughandle will be reopened each morning by 6 a.m.
Those traveling on Route 72 westbound wishing to exit at Doc Cramer Blvd. will be directed to exit before Doc Cramer Blvd. near the Stafford Square shopping center, according to NJDOT:
- Take Route 72 westbound and make a U-turn using the jughandle after West Street to Route 72 eastbound
- Take Route 72 eastbound
- Turn right onto General Grier Drive
- Turn right onto McKinley Avenue
- Continue on McKinley Avenue until it intersects with Doc Cramer Road
This work is part of the $11.6 million federally-funded Route 72 East Road. Other upcoming improvements include the addition of a 10-foot shoulder in each direction on Route 72 between the Garden State Parkway and the Stafford Square Shopping Center, median widening, new barrier curbs, plus new traffic signals and roadway improvements at two Route 72 intersections – Roosevelt Boulevard and Doc Cramer Boulevard.
There will be a new culvert and a revised jug handle circling a water basin from Route 72 westbound to a relocated East Road (East Road is being moved approximately 200 feet east from its current location), two new storm water basins will be constructed further down on Route 72 westbound, and West Road will be relocated east from its current location between McDonalds and Mr. Tire to a new location between Element Restaurant and Starboard Plaza. Washington Road, located parallel to Route 72 will end at the new West Road.
Construction is expected to be completed in late 2020.
For information and updates, visit 511nj.org.
