Mathis Bridge Over Barnegat Bay Reopens For Summer Traffic: DOT

Enjoy it while you can.

The state Department of Transportation has reopened the Thomas A. Mathis bridge for the summer months.

The 65-year-old bridge will close again on Sept. 14, so more improvements can be made.

So far there haven't been any delays in the three-year rehabilitation project, which is slated to conclude in 2018. The DOT is replacing the bridge's driving surface and making other structural and aesthetic upgrades.

Shiavone Construction Company, the DOT’s contractor, shifted one lane of eastbound traffic onto one lane on the J. Stanley Tunney westbound bridge in October 2015 and kept two lanes westbound open during the late fall and months.

But that won't stand up to the heavy summer traffic after Memorial Day, so the Mathis Bridge will stay open through mid-September.

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, according to an earlier Patch story.

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.

Ordinarily Mathis carries traffic eastbound from Toms River over Barnegat Bay to Seaside Heights and Tunney is the route for the return trip. Since the DOT closed Mathis in October 2015 traffic in both directions has traveled on the Tunney bridge.

The DOT's community outreach team is available at (732) 230-7356 and DOT-Route37Mathis.outreach@dot.nj.gov to answer questions on the Mathis Bridge project. More information is also available on the project website.