New Hampshire Avenue Drivers, Paving Is Coming, Ocean County Says

TOMS RIVER, NJ — It's a complaint you typically hear in the spring: Potholes. Whether they make for a bumpy ride or tear up a vehicle's tires or shocks, the asphalt affliction drives motorists crazy.

In recent weeks, pavement pockmarks along New Hampshire Avenue have prompted a growing number of complaints from drivers who travel the road, particularly the stretch from Route 70 north that runs from Toms River into Lakewood.

"It's to the point where it's going to cause an accident from dodging the holes and ruts," a Patch reader said in a recent post.

Well, there's good news and bad news, folks. The good news? Ocean County just went out to bid on a road surfacing project that includes the troublesome stretch of New Hampshire Avenue. The bad news: It won't be done until the spring.

Ocean County Engineer John Ernst said the project was put out to bid last week and the county will receive the bids on Jan. 29. The funding for the project was in the 2018 Ocean County budget, he said.

In the meantime, potholes on the road that are particularly troublesome can be reported to the Ocean County Roads Department, which is repairing potholes as needed, Ernst said.

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Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff