SHIP BOTTOM — Drivers traveling through Southern Ocean County should expect lane closures and detours next week as final paving work begins on major roadways tied to the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project, state transportation officials said.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation announced that Route 72 (9th Street), Barnegat Avenue and Central Avenue in Ship Bottom will undergo temporary closures beginning Monday night, April 27.
Eastbound Route 72 is scheduled to close between Shore Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard from 7 p.m. Monday until 7 a.m. Tuesday. Drivers coming off the Manahawkin Bay Bridge will be detoured to Shore Avenue, then directed to 11th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.
Additional daytime lane closures are planned from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and continuing Wednesday along 9th Street, as well as sections of Barnegat Avenue and Central Avenue, as crews prepare for paving. At least one lane will remain open during daytime work.
Overnight closures will resume Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., with similar traffic patterns expected. Officials said at least one lane will stay open unless full closures are required, in which case signed detours will be in place.
The work marks the final phase of a long-term infrastructure project aimed at improving traffic flow and safety between Stafford Township and Long Beach Island. Improvements include widening roadways, adding turn lanes, upgrading traffic signals and installing new drainage systems to address chronic flooding issues.
In Ship Bottom, roughly 3,000 feet of Route 72 and several key intersections have been widened. Two-way traffic has been restored on Central Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, and a new signal has been installed at 8th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.
Officials noted that construction schedules may change depending on weather and other factors. Drivers are encouraged to check real-time travel updates at nj511.org.
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