NJDOT Diverts Traffic On Route 72 For Stafford Square Project

Officials will require four lane shifts over the next three weeks on Route 72 as part of the construction between the Garden State Parkway and Stafford Square Shopping Center, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said Monday. Here's how NJDOT says it will affect your drives.

NJDOT's contractor will close one lane of Route 72, both eastbound and westbound, between 9 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday to implement a traffic shift. Route 72 westbound traffic will shift to the left onto a temporary lane between the GSP and Martin Truex Jr. Boulevard.

The shift will create a construction zone on the right of the road to continue culvert replacement work, NJDOT said. Officials will maintain two westbound traffic lanes during this stage.

Once the westbound culvert work is completed, officials will begin on the eastbound side of Route 72. At that time, the eastbound lanes will be shifted to the left. After about five days or upon completion, the eastbound traffic will be shifted to the right.

NJDOT expects to complete the federally funded Route 72 East Road project by late 2019. The project is meant to "provide highway and signal intersection improvements to address congestion and safety concerns," NJDOT said.

Improvements are set to include adding a 10-foot shoulder in each direction on Route 72 between the GSP and the Stafford Square Shopping Center, as well as median widening, new barrier curbs, new traffic signals and roadway improvements, NJDOT said.