Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Prior to the start of the work, all four bridges exhibited severe deterioration and were outdated. A deck resurfacing project was undertaken to extend the life of the existing Manahawkin Bay Bridge in anticipation of its rehabilitation work.
Age and deterioration The existing Manahawkin Bay Bridge and three trestle bridges along Route 72 are over 50 years old. Their serviceable life without major rehabilitation is limited based on their existing conditions and the increasing expenditures of tax dollars for necessary repairs. The development of fatigue cracks in the floor beams of the Manahawkin Bay Bridge and progression of severe rusting required replacement of its superstructure. The chipping and cracking of the pier caps of the three trestle bridges required extensive retrofitting for these bridges. It is more cost effective to perform a major rehabilitation than to continue repairing the bridges as problems developed.

The construction of the new bridge was completed and the structure was open to traffic in April 2016.

The East and West Thorofare Bridges have been rehabilitated to address deteriorated elements of these structures. New traffic barriers/railings, deck sections, deck joints and sidewalks are under construction at the roadway level. Below-the-deck repairs include pier spalls, cleaning and painting of bearings and timber pile preservation jackets. Similar repairs were completed for the Hillards Thorofare bridge.

The construction of two basin retrofits along Route 70 in Brick Township has been completed. The Environmental Mitigation Site has been cleared and herbicide applications have been completed. Grading and Landscaping activities are also completed.

The superstructure for the existing Bay Bridge has been demolished Completely and replaced. Substructure repairs and approach roadway work for the bridge has also been performed. Final Design for the drainage, traffic and pedestrian improvements in Ship Bottom has been completed. Construction is anticipated to begin in February 2021.

The final design of proposed improvements to the Marsha Drive intersection at Route 72 have also been completed. Marsha Drive is a local road connecting Bay Avenue to Route 72 and to Beach Haven West on the south side of Route 72. During the summer months, Marsha Drive southbound traffic turning left onto Route 72 towards Long Beach Island backs up to Bay Avenue, causing long traffic delays. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will make improvements to this intersection to ease these delays.

In addition, the rehabilitation of four existing bridges and the construction of the new bridge across Manahawkin Bay are also located within the Stafford Township limits.

A street floods in Ship Bottom.

Drainage and traffic issues along 8th and 9th Streets in Ship Bottom will be improved. Part of the project will improve traffic operations on Long Beach Island as well as upgrade the drainage system along 8th and 9th Streets to improve access onto and off of Long Beach Island during heavy rainfalls and high tide events.

The new configuration includes rehabilitation of the existing bay bridge structure and the new parallel structure to the south. The curb to curb width of each bridge is 49 feet. This width will accommodate two 12-foot lanes, a 12-foot left shoulder, and a 13- foot right shoulder in each direction in the final traffic configuration. The new bridge will carry eastbound traffic and the existing bridge will carry westbound traffic. The rehabilitated existing bridge will also have a six-foot sidewalk on the north side.

The three structures over Hilliard's Thorofare, West Thorofare, and East Thorofare have also been rehabilitated. The existing bridge decks will be repaired and reconfigured to provide two 11-foot lanes and a six-foot bike lane/shoulder in each direction, and a six-foot sidewalk in the westbound direction (on the north side).

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