DOT Provides Update On Route 72 Causeway Bridge Construction Schedule

Officials from New Jersey Department of Transportation met with mayors from Stafford and Long Beach Island communities on Tuesday, at the request of state representatives from the ninth legislative district, to address their concerns about the construction schedule of the Causeway bridge on Route 72, the sole land connection between the island and the mainland.

"Obviously our concern is that it be completed as soon as possible," said State Senator Chris Connors (R), who represents the district, along with Assemblyman Brian E. Rumpf (R) and DiAnne Gove (R). "It’s obviously the project of extreme importance to the folks on Long Beach Island, and it has tremendous economic significance as well."

At the April 17 meeting, Department of Transportation representatives informed mayors of Stafford, Surf City, Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars and Ship Bottom that the project recently received the most important environmental clearances -- specifically NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and approvals from the Federal Highway Administration.

"Certainly the DOT has stated they wanted to make sure all of the environmental impact requirements were met and completed in a proper
manner," Connors said. "Because of the elevated concerns regarding issues of the Barnegat Bay, it was even more paramount that the process took place."

The work will take four separate contracts to complete and that the DOT is now finalizing designs on the first contract, aiming to begin construction of the new bridge in 2013 and complete the entire project by the end of 2019.

"We should be advertising for bids on the first contract at around this time next year," said Department of Transportation spokesman Joe Dee.

Below are the project's four stages, each requiring a separate contract and including nearby roadway improvements:

1. Construction of a new, wider bridge parallel to the existing structure. Estimated construction costs: $128 million. Estimated project start: 2013. This phase of the project will take about three years to complete.

2. Rehabilitation of three trestle bridges that are part of the causeway, including Hilliard's Thoroughfare, East Thoroughfare and West Thoroughfare. Estimated project start: 2015. Duration: about two years. Construction cost: $25 million.

3. Rehabilitation of the existing Causeway bridge. Estimated project start: 2017. Duration: about two and a half years. Construction cost: approximately $76 million.

4. Taking care of any remaining issues on either end of the causeway, and the land in Stafford and Ship Bottom. Estimated project start: 2017. Duration: about two years. Estimated cost: $20-40 million.

The project was developed in a way as to minimize or eliminate any potential delays related to construction, Dee said.

"We’re developing a construction schedule to maintain four traffic lanes continuously during the busy summer travel season," he said. "This is important, because it’s the only way on and off this island, so it’s essential to maintain full capacity. We’re very conscious of that."

The DOT estimates the total construction costs for the project to run up to anywhere between $250 million and $275 million, Dee said. Adding in other costs, such as design work, inspection and engineering, the total project will cost around $350 million.

"And of course these numbers will get refined as we start to get bids," Dee said. "You never know what we may come across in a project."

The transporation representatived also assuaged the local and state officials' and the public's concerns regarding the safety of travel on a bridge that is considered "obsolete" and in need of major rehabilitation.

"Any bridge in New Jersey that is carrying traffic right now is safe," Dee said. "We would not allow traffic on the bridge if our engineers or inspectors determined it was unsafe for anyone."