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P.O. Box 600
Trenton, NJ
Contact: Steve Schapiro
Daniel Triana
Judy Drucker
609-530-4280
RELEASE: March 29, 2018
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Route 72 Hilliards Thorofare Bridge traffic shift
begins Friday
Traffic will be shifted onto the newly constructed north side
of the bridge
(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a traffic shift on the Hilliards Thorofare Bridge to Long Beach Island as the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project advances.
Beginning at 8 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, March 30, until 5 a.m. Sunday, April 1, NJDOT's contractor, George Harms Construction Co., is scheduled to shift traffic to the newly reconstructed northern portion of the Hilliards Thorofare Bridge, which normally handles westbound traffic. The new traffic pattern will temporarily return Route 72 to two lanes in each direction through the work zone for the 2018 summer season. The shift will allow for limited summertime construction on the center median, which will not affect traffic. In the fall work will take place on the shoulders and the reconstruction of the southern portion of the bridge, which normally handles Route 72 eastbound traffic. Limited overnight lane closures are allowed and are to be expected.
Work on the $350 million Route 72/Manahawkin Bay Bridge project was started 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.
As part of the project, a new bridge has been constructed parallel to the existing one over Manahawkin Bay, providing the safety of a redundant route on or off the island. The new bridge is 2,400 feet long with a vertical clearance of 55 feet over Manahawkin Bay. It currently has two lanes in each direction while the original Causeway Bridge is being rehabilitated. Ultimately, it will function as the bridge for eastbound traffic once the project is completed, with the rehabilitated original bridge carrying westbound traffic. For more information NJDOT developed a project-specific website.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info.
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