NJDOT announces upcoming lane closure on Route 36 in Eatontown
Route 35/36 intersection improvement project progresses

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that the left-lane on Route 36 eastbound will be closed directly before the turn for Wyckoff Road (CR 547), reducing the highway from three lanes to two lanes for a 0.7-mile stretch.

NJDOT will enact the lane closure tonight and expects to reopen the lane on or around December 3.

The lane closure will allow NJDOT’s contractor, Delfino Contracting Co., to construct and install a new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) electrical sign structure at this location and to improve the drainage system along the median of the highway. Route 36 eastbound traffic will still be able to make the left-turn onto Wyckoff Road.

NJDOT began the $12.4 million project to improve safety and reduce congestion at the Route 35 and Route 36 intersection in Eatontown Borough, Monmouth County in April.

The existing intersection configuration has become out-dated and can no longer adequately handle the volume of traffic on the two highways, particularly during summer months. Route 36 is a major summer tourist route toward the beaches of Long Branch and Sandy Hook, and Monmouth Mall is located directly to the southwest of the intersection.

NJDOT is realigning and widening the existing intersection in order to improve operational performance, reduce congestion and enhance safety. The reconfigured intersection will feature multiple new turn lanes, acceleration and deceleration lanes, traffic signal upgrades and new pedestrian safety improvements.

The project addresses concerns expressed by Eatontown Borough and Monmouth County officials. The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2012.

NJDOT will use variable messaging signs to inform motorists of the construction and any traffic pattern changes associated with the project. Real time travel and construction information is available online at www.511nj.org