Route 72 East Road intersection improvements begin

Lane and shoulder closures necessary for start of construction

(Trenton) -New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced daily left and right shoulder closures for the start of intersection and roadway improvements in both directions for approximately one mile on Route 72 in Stafford, Ocean County.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, September 10 until 3:30 p.m. daily for the next few months, NJDOT’s contractor Earle Asphalt Co., is scheduled to temporarily close a left or right lane on Route 72 between the Garden State Parkway and the Stafford Square Shopping Center to create a work zone for drainage work.

Work on the $8.6 million federally-funded Route 72 East Road project is expected to begin preliminary construction this September, with the majority of construction starting later this fall. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2019.

The project will provide highway and signal intersection improvements to address congestion and safety concerns. Improvements are scheduled to include the addition of a 10-foot shoulder in each direction on Route 72 between the Garden State Parkway and the Stafford Square Shopping Center, median widening, new barrier curbs, plus new traffic signals and roadway improvements at two Route 72 intersections - Roosevelt Boulevard and Doc Cramer Boulevard.

There will be a new culvert and a revised jug handle circling a water basin from Route 72 westbound to a relocated East Road (East Road is being moved approximately 200 feet east from its current location), two new storm water basins will be constructed further down on Route 72 westbound, and West Road will be relocated east from its current location between McDonalds and Mr. Tire to a new location between Element Restaurant and Starboard Plaza. Washington Road, located parallel to Route 72 will end at the new West Road.

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 real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info or on the NJDOT Facebook page.