Route 72 Shoulder In Manahawkin To Be Closed For Project

New Jersey Department of Transportation officials have announced that the shoulder on Route 72 westbound will be closed in preparation for drainage work as part of the intersection and roadway improvements at East Road in Manahawkin.

Between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays, NJDOT’s contractor Earle Asphalt Co. will likely close the shoulder on Route 72 westbound between the Garden State Parkway and the Stafford Square Shopping Center to create a work zone for drainage improvements and future culvert replacement work.

The shoulder will be closed for the duration of the project and there may be daily lane closures as necessary.

The $8.6 million federally-funded Route 72 East Road 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.

Construction began this fall and is expected to be completed in late 2019.

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

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