Christie Administration continues Route 35 Reconstruction “Listening Tour” in Normandy Beach

Community partnership events continue between
Department of Transportation Commissioner,
Route 35 Project Team and local communities

Commissioner Simpson and NJDOT project team members gathered today at the WaWa located on Route 35 northbound and then walked southward along the highway with Toms River council members, listening to concerns and ideas from business owners and residents along the way. The group made numerous stops at local businesses including Z-Line Beachwear, Dom's Pizza and Deli and the Beach Authority.

“NJDOT is committed to remaining active within these communities as the $265 million project rebuilding Route 35 gets underway, doing everything we can to help the people understand the project and associated impacts,” said Commissioner Simpson. “The Christie Administration has devised this listening tour to ensure that the concerns of residents and local officials are heard.”

Toms River Township extends east across the Barnegat Bay at two locations along the peninsula within the limits of the project – Normandy Beach and Chadwick Beach to the north of Lavallete and Ortley Beach to the south. Ortley Beach was the scene of massive destruction after the storm, while the northern beaches witnessed their fair share of storm-related damage as well.

The Department has divided the project into three geographical sections and has awarded contracts to three contractors. The Normandy Beach and Chadwick Beach sections of Toms River will be addressed in Contract 2 and the Ortley Beach section will be addressed in Contract 3. 

Contract 2 covers the middle portion of the project, a five-mile stretch in Toms River, Lavallette and Brick. A $101 million contract was awarded to George Harms Construction Co.

Contract 3 includes the southernmost portion of the project area, a four-mile segment of Route 35 starting at the entrance of Island Beach State Park in Berkeley and continuing north into Seaside Park, Seaside Heights and Toms River. An $81 million contract has been awarded to Union Paving & Construction Co.

The Listening Tour supplements a robust community outreach effort that includes a hotline telephone number, 732.230.7356, and email address, restorenj35@mbi-gs.com for residents to pose questions or provide suggestions as work progresses.

NJDOT has created a project-specific website that provides information on the proposed construction activity. The site will be updated as work advances. 

A pre-construction public information center on July 9 in Lavallette was very well attended by hundreds of residents and business owners from the eight Barnegat Peninsula municipalities where Route 35 will be reconstructed (Bay Head, Mantoloking, Brick, Toms River, Lavallette, Seaside Heights, Seaside Borough and Berkeley.

Governor Chris Christie announced the start of the project to rebuild the roadway that sustained heavy damage during Superstorm Sandy at a press conference in Seaside Park on July 2. At the event, Christie said the Route 35 reconstruction project sends a message that the Jersey Shore is coming back stronger than ever.

Preliminary work in all three sections is expected to begin in late-August and early-September. Construction in the northernmost section will be completed by the summer of 2014, with work in the other two sections completed by the summer of 2015.