DOT Announces Route 166 Work Changes As Pressure Mounts

TOMS RIVER, NJ — With the summer tourist season bearing down on the Jersey Shore, state officials are stepping up efforts to minimize the impact of the Route 166/Route 37 intersection reconstruction.

In a news release issued late Thursday, DOT officials said there will be several changes in the next few days, "in order to expedite the project so any work requiring detours is completed before the summer vacation season."

Those changes start with reopening the ramp from westbound Route 37 to southbound Route 166, which has been closed since last November. Beginning about 10 p.m. Friday, April 27, the contractor on the project, New Prince Concrete, will be opening the ramp and shifting the two-way traffic on Route 166 to the southbound lanes of the road.

"The traffic shift will allow for the contractor to complete curb and signal work and begin reconstruction of the northbound side of the roadway," the news release said.

While that ramp will be reopened, the two ramps that connect Route 166 northbound and Route 37 eastbound will be closed so they can be rebuilt, DOT officials said.

Motorists who want to go east on Route 37 will be able to turn right onto the highway from Route 166, the release said. Motorists who want to go north on Route 166 from Route 37 will be detoured to exit 80 on the Garden State Parkway southbound, to Lakehurst Road and then left on Highland Parkway to Route 166 north, the news release said.

"Work on both ramps is expected to be completed by Memorial Day," officials said.

There will be signs warning of the change and detour signs in place as well, DOT officials said.

"This is truly a step in the right direction," said Ocean County Freeholder Joseph Vicari, who went to Point Pleasant Beach last Friday to speak to Gov. Phil Murphy about the issue. "I would like to extend my appreciation to the Governor and members of his staff who are finally hearing our pleas to move this work along and get it completed."

The announcement comes as sudden business closures in the last two weeks turned up the heat from local officials and residents. Schuster's Car Wash was forced to close Tuesday when its water supply was shut off unexpectedly, and both Shut Up and Eat and the Office Lounge dealt with blocked driveways. (RELATED: Toms River Car Wash Reopens, Anger Simmers Over Route 166 Mess)

Shut Up and Eat, a restaurant on the south side of Route 37, and the Office Lounge both had issues with the contractor completely blocking their entrances, Toms River Council President Brian Kubiel said Tuesday night.

"Local businesses should always be informed if any access or service disruption will occur over the course of any NJDOT project, and from what we understand, the contractor did so regarding paving driveway aprons," NJDOT spokesman Matthew Saidel said. "NJDOT has spoken to the contractor to ensure this continues to happen."

New Prince Concrete was awarded the $11.8 million contract for the project in January 2016, and construction began in March 2016 with an estimated completion date of June 2018. But the construction schedule was disrupted when then-Gov. Chris Christie ordered all state road construction projects shut down in July 2016 during the battle over the 23-cent gasoline tax increase to fund the depleted Transportation Trust Fund.

Dan Triana, an NJDOT spokesman, has said the shutdown led to a major issue as New Jersey Natural Gas turned its attention to other projects. The natural gas mains had to be moved before other utilities could be relocated, Triana said in mid-April, and the project sat dormant for several months as a result. The new estimate is that it will be completed by the end of 2018 or early 2019, Triana has said. (RELATED: Chorus Of Complaints Over Route 37/166 Work Delays Grows Louder)

That new date has not sat well with local officials, who foresee massive traffic and business impacts as the summer tourist season hits. Last week, Ocean County Freeholder Joseph Vicari took the complaints of residents and local businesses to Gov. Phil Murphy directly, speaking to the governor in Point Pleasant Beach following Murphy's signing of a bill to ban offshore drilling off New Jersey's coast.

On Thursday night, Vicari said "Up until recently, requests to expedite the work have gone unheeded and this has caused an unnecessary financial burden for many businesses, as many as 85, in the area as well as causing safety concerns for motorists."

"I am pleased the goal is now to get the work done expeditiously. These businesses have suffered more than their share," Vicari said. "Getting the work done before the summer season kicks off here in Ocean County also is paramount. This area is a gateway to and from the Northern Barrier Island of Ocean County, which is a very popular tourism destination. I am cautiously optimistic this work will now be completed in a timely manner so as not to negatively affect the summer season or to prolong the current problems experienced by the businesses."

The NJDOT said the precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors and motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT's traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.

The view of Route 166 at Route 37 southbound on Wednesday night. This view will change this weekend as the lanes are shifted and work escalates. Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff