Route 72 single lane closure begins next week for West Thorofare Bridge slope stabilization
Construction will take place Monday through Thursday for approximately three weeks
(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a temporary single lane closure on Route 72 for three weeks to stabilize slopes near the West Thorofare Bridge as the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project advances.
Beginning at 7 a.m., Monday, June 4 NJDOT's contractor, Schiavone Construction, is scheduled to close a single lane on Route 72 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.
Working hours will be from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. During these days, the lane closure will remain in place 24 hours a day. All lanes will be open in both directions by 9 p.m. Thursday night for weekend traffic.
Construction will begin with a single lane closure on Route 72 eastbound at 7 a.m. Monday, June 4 with work expected to take four days. Upon completion of work in the eastbound direction, a single lane of Route 72 westbound will be closed Monday through Thursday with work taking an expected eight days.
The work requires the driving of steel sheet piles, which is extremely loud. As part of NJDOT’s Commitment to Communities, the Department worked closely with local officials to establish a schedule that will allow the work to get done in the shortest amount of time and in a way to minimize 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.
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