Mathis Bridge Over Barnegat Bay To Close At End Of Month For Deck Replacement Project

Big traffic changes are ahead for motorists when the Thomas A. Mathis Route 37 eastbound bridge over Barnegat Bay closes on Friday night for a deck replacement project, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The bridge will close at 9 p.m. on Oct. 30 near the intersection with Douglas Street. Shiavone Construction Company, the DOT’s contractor will shift one lane of eastbound traffic onto one lane on the J. Stanley Tunney westbound bridge.

Traffic will be shifted back onto Route 37 eastbound after motorists cross the Tunney Bridge near Sunset Drive on Pelican Island. The jughandle to turn onto Douglas Street in Toms River will remain open.

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

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. The Mathis bridge will reopen by May 15, 2016 before the busy summer vacation season.

There will be no Mathis Bridge openings for marine traffic between December 1, 2015 and March 15, 2016.

The eastbound Mathis Bridge and westbound Tunney Bridges carry traffic over Route 37 and Barnegat Bay between Toms River and Seaside Heights. The Mathis Bridge, a mile-long double leaf bascule moveable span bridge completed in 1950, is the oldest and needs repairs.

The $74 million federally-funded project will replace the existing bridge deck on the Mathis Bridge, which is 65 years old, make safety improvements to the barrier and railings, and repair and replace mechanical and electrical components that operate the moveable lift span.

Construction is will take place for three seasons and is expected to be completed by the summer 2018. The construction cycle requiring a full closure of the Mathis Bridge will be limited to November 1 to April 30 each year.

“During each of these construction cycles, summer traffic from approximately May 15 to September 15 will not be affected and all three current lanes on each bridge will be open to traffic,” according to a DOT release..

Community Outreach

NJDOT created a project-specific website with moreinformation about the project, which can be found on the DOT’s website by going to www.NJCommuter.com and selecting Route 37 Mathis Bridge under the Construction Updates bullet.

The DOT has a Project Community Outreach Team that can be reached at the hotline telephone number, 732-230-7356, email, DOT-Route37Mathis.outreach@dot.nj.gov, or project website. Anyone who has questions, concerns, or suggestions is encouraged to contact the Project Community Outreach Team as work progresses.

NJDOT will be using variable message Signs to provide advance notification to motorists of traffic pattern changes associated with the work. Follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info and visit www.511nj.org for travel advisories.

Photo credit: Patch file photo