Traffic On LBI Causeway Just Got A Little Easier: State

Traffic patterns on the Route 72 Causeway Bridge are back to their pre-construction stage, with two lanes now open, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The switch was made on Tuesday. Project work will shift from the north side of the bridge decks to off-bridge work to accomodate the coming summer traffic, spokesperson Steve Schapiro said in a release.

Single lane closures can still occur until May 14. All lanes will remain permanently open through the summer, he said,

Work on the $350 million Route 72/Manahawkin Bay Bridges project was started in 2013 and is expected to continue through 2020. The three-mile long causeway links Stafford Township on the mainland with Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. The bridge is 53 years old and is "structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, according to the DOT.

Work on the new bridge should be in 2016. Then the existing bridge will close for rehabilitation. When the work on the old bridge will be open westbound traffic.

The project is constructing a new bridge parallel to the existing one over Manahawkin Bay, providing an additional way off Long Beach Island in the event that one of the bridges needs to be closed.

"The existing causeway sustained relatively minor damage during Super Storm Sandy, but storm damage is a concern especially because it provides the only way for motor vehicles to enter or exit Long Beach Island, Schapiro said.

The new bridge is 2,400 feet long with a vertical clearance of 55 feet over Manahawkin Bay. Ultimately, it will fserve as the bridge for eastbound traffic once the project is completed.

This sequence was designed to preserve the current two travel lanes in each direction during busy summer seasons from mid-May to mid-September during daytime hours and weekends. The contractor is allowed single-lane closures overnight and during the off-season, but one lane will always be maintained in each direction.

Completion of the entire project - with details for all four contracts here - is scheduled for 2020. 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 websitewww.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info.