Route 71 to be Resurfaced in Monmouth County

Route 71, one of the main roads that runs through Monmouth County, will be resurfaced over the next year.

The resurfacing will cause lane closures in both directions as the construction begins Sea Girt and makes it way northward to where the road ends in Eatontown.

More than a dozen towns and 12 miles of highway will be affected by the $9.2 million project, according a release from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT).

The following locations will be affected by the resurfacing project:

• An approximately 5.8-mile stretch of Route 71 from Sea Girt Avenue (milepost 1.7) in Sea Girt through Spring Lake Heights, Wall, Belmar, Avon-by-the-Sea and Bradley Beach to just south of Stockton Avenue (milepost 7.5) in Ocean Grove (Neptune Township). 
  
  
• An approximately 6.2-mile stretch of Route 71 from just north of Darlington Road (milepost 10.5) in Deal through Ocean Township, Long Branch, West Long Branch and Oceanport to the northern terminus of the highway at Route 35 (milepost 16.7) in Eatontown.

NJDOT has already begun preliminary operations for the project and will start joint-sealing operations and curb reconstruction on Route 71 within the next few day.

"Following that, major resurfacing operations will begin in Sea Girt with the contractor working northward," the release states.

Route 71 has one travel lane in each direction with outside shoulders of varying width, and NJDOT will maintain one lane in each direction during daytime hours, with traffic shifts utilizing the existing shoulders.

"Resurfacing operations will require overnight single lane closures on Route 71 with alternating traffic patterns between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following day," the release states. "During the summer months, from May 15 through Sept. 15, construction restrictions will be in place prohibiting any lane closures."

New image detection cameras will be installed at certain intersections to replace the existing, underground loop detectors, and these cameras will be linked to traffic signals to help maximize the capacity of the highway by detecting vehicles waiting to enter or cross Route 71 and activate a signal sequence. 

The project will also upgrade curbing, create ADA-compliant curb ramps and improve roadway striping and guide rails.

The project is scheduled to be completed in late-spring 2013, according to the release.

NJDOT says the work schedule may change due to weather and other factors, and that motorists are also encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information.