Route 72 Westbound second lane reopened on Old Causeway Bridge

Single lane closures will continue during the day for final paving

(Trenton) -New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the second lane of Route 72 westbound has been reopened on the reconstructed Old Causeway Bridge as the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project advances. 

Although the second lane has been reopened, NJDOT's contractor, George Harms Construction Co., will be periodically closing a single lane of Route 72 westbound on the newly reconstructed Old Causeway Bridge between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday for final paving over the next month. Two lanes of traffic westbound traffic will be open on the Old Causeway Bridge on weekends. Eastbound traffic will remain on the New Causeway Bridge. The paving is expected to be complete with the normal two lanes of traffic in each direction open before Memorial Day.

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 has carried two lanes of traffic in each direction since 2016 while the original Causeway Bridge has been under reconstruction. Ultimately, it will function as the bridge for eastbound traffic once the project is completed, with the rehabilitated original bridge carrying westbound traffic.

The next major piece of the project, expected to begin in 2020 will address safety and operational issues at the Route 72/Marsha Drive intersection in Stafford Township, and operational and drainage improvements in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. Two-way traffic will be restored along Central Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, and traffic signals along 8th and 9th Streets (Route 72) will be improved. 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.

Please note, the NJDOT Communications office has a new phone number – 609.963.1975