Route 72 West Thorofare Bridge emergency slope stabilization work completed one week
ahead of schedule

Lane closures for emergency construction no longer necessary

(Trenton) -New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced that the emergency construction requiring temporary single lane closures in both directions on Route 72 was completed today, one week ahead of schedule. The lane closures were necessary to stabilize slopes near the West Thorofare Bridge for the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project in Ocean County.

NJDOT's contractor, Schiavone Construction began emergency work on Monday, June 4, and was scheduled to close lanes on Route 72 for approximately three weeks, Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Last week a single lane was closed eastbound, Monday through Thursday and this week a single lane was closed westbound Monday through Thursday. The work was necessary to install steel sheeting to stabilize the slopes around the west abutment to the West Thorofare Bridge between Cedar Bonnet Island and Bonnet Island in Stafford. Although some remaining sheeting work is required, it can be performed off the roadway and will have no impact on traffic.

The work required the driving of steel sheet piles, which was extremely loud and would be very disruptive at night. As part of NJDOT’s Commitment to Communities, the Department worked closely with local officials to establish a schedule that allowed the work to get done in the shortest amount of time and in a way that minimized the impact to traffic and to residents.

Work on the $312 million Route 72/Manahawkin Bay Bridge project 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. 

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.