Go Left: New Toms River Signal Ends U-Turns At Target, Michael's

TOMS RIVER, NJ — To the left, to the left: Shoppers at Ocean Center and at the Commons at Hooper now can forget the U-turns and simply make a left turn now that a new traffic signal between the two Hooper Avenue shopping centers is operational.

Ocean County officials said the project is nearly finished, with restriping the road and some other minor items to complete.

The new traffic signal and traffic pattern at Ocean Center, home to Target and Lowes, on the east side and the Commons at Hooper, home to Michael's and DSW, on the west allows drivers leaving the shopping centers to make left turns onto Hooper Avenue to go the directions they want to go, instead of having to use U-turns at Indian Head Road and Bay Avenue (or, as many did, pull into the Michael's shopping center and hang a quick U-turn to go south on Hooper).

It also allows drivers to cross Hooper to go between the two shopping centers.

"The new traffic signal configuration helps motorists access both north and southbound Hooper Avenue and also allows for the crossing of Hooper Avenue to the other shopping center," Freeholder Director Virginia Haines said. "This is good for motorists and good for business."

Freeholder John P. Kelly noted the project was done without interrupting traffic.

"The Engineering Department had already developed a conceptual improvement plan for the signal to allow left turns onto Hooper Avenue from the shopping centers on each side of Hooper Avenue," Kelly said. "This is a heavily traveled area of the Hooper Avenue corridor. We believe this modification will have a positive outcome with traffic safety and accessibility."

In order to accommodate the new left turns from the shopping centers and the ability to cross Hooper Avenue in order to access the opposite shopping center, the median was opened to accommodate the new traffic signal and configuration.

Originally motorists leaving the Ocean Center that wanted to go south on Hooper Avenue had to drive north to Indian Hill Road and then go south at the jughandle. Motorists leaving the Commons at Hooper shopping center had to go south to Bay Avenue to make the U-turn to access Hooper Avenue north.

Dewberry Engineers Inc., Bloomfield, did the design for the project. The contractor was Earle Asphalt Company, Wall Township.

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