Toms River Jeweler, Car Wash Celebrate Surviving Rt. 166 Project

TOMS RIVER, NJ — For days — 1,095 days, but who was counting? — the Route 166 businesses on the north side of Route 37 watched, waited and lived with the frustrations of a state road project that aimed to improve safety and traffic flow at the very busy intersection just east of the Garden State Parkway.

Larry Schuster of Schuster's Car Wash and Ryan Blumenthal of Corinne Jewelers were among the most vocal about the $11.8 million construction project that started in March 2016. A state shutdown set the project back months, and it never recovered.

But when it ended?

"It was like Christmas Day for us," Schuster said in early April, when the barriers and construction equipment finally were removed. He celebrated by handing out T-shirts emblazoned "I Survived The Rt 166 Road Project."

“"This project didn't just affect the businesses on that road," said Blumenthal, whose store has been at its Route 166 location for more than 30 years, along with Schuster's Car Wash. "It’s one of the most heavily traveled intersections in town. It affected everyone in town."

"We have very loyal customers," he said, which helped them survive the turmoil caused by the project. As a way of thanking them, they are holding a special sale for Mother's Day, called the "Over Construction Reduction" event. "We believe our customers deserve a reward for enduring 1,095 days of rubble and gridlock."

The three-day event, from Thursday, May 9 through Saturday, May 11, offers up to 70 percent off merchandise and customers can enter for a chance to win $1,095 in Corinne Cash (one dollar for every day of construction). There are exclusions, he said, so talk to store associates for details.

Schuster and Blumenthal tried to maintain a sense of humor through the trials and frustrations of the project. Schuster submitted an application to the Guinness Book of World Records nominating it as "the slowest quarter-mile of road construction ever" (Guinness officials notified him in February that it was turned down). Blumenthal, meanwhile, mocked the project on Corinne sign, with messages such as "$12,000,000 for this?" and "Inconveniently located, but worth the trip" during the holiday shopping season last year.

"It was done out of total frustration," Blumenthal said.

Schuster said that after an initial hiccup with the traffic signal timing when the road was fully reopened on March 29, traffic flow has been significantly better than it was before the construction.

Both he and Blumenthal were just relieved to get back to focusing on their businesses, however.

"Now if we can just get some sunshine," Schuster said.

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