Route 37 Mathis Bridge Closure In Toms River Begins Friday

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Mathis Bridge eastbound on Route 37 into Seaside Heights will be closed beginning Friday as construction crews prepare to work on the span during the winter, the state Department of Transportation announced Thursday.

Just as it was last year, eastbound traffic will be shifted onto one lane of the Tunney Bridge and westbound Route 37, with the work to shift the traffic beginning at 7 a.m., according to the DOT.

The shift will close Route 37 at the intersection of Douglas Street just before the Mathis Bridge, the DOT said. Traffic will be shifted back onto Route 37 eastbound after crossing the Tunney Bridge near Sunset Drive on Pelican Island. The jughandle to turn onto Douglas Street in Toms River will remain open, officials said.

The shift is expected to be completed in the evening on Friday.

No wide loads will be permitted on the eastbound lane of the Tunney Bridge while the Mathis Bridge is closed, officials said. Truck drivers affected by this must obtain a permit from the NJDOT, which will direct them to an acceptable alternate route. For more information about oversize loads visit the NJDOT trucking web page, officials said.

While the Mathis Bridge is closed, two lanes of traffic westbound and one lane eastbound will be maintained on the Tunney Bridge, separated by a moveable barrier. Should there be a need for an evacuation, all three lanes may be made operational in the westerly direction, officials said.

The Mathis bridge will reopen by May 15, 2017, before the busy summer vacation season.

There will be no Mathis Bridge openings for marine traffic between Dec. 1, 2016 and March 15, 2017, officials said.

Traffic was shifted to one lane of the westbound Tunney Bridge last year. Photo by Karen Wall (Patch Staff)