Route 37 Bridge To Seaside To Reopen For Summer Shortly

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Route 37 Mathis Bridge over Barnegat Bay will reopen to traffic in the next two weeks as scheduled as the second round of winter construction comes to an end for the summer season, state transportation officials said Monday.

Toms River Township officials said they have told by the state Department of Transportation that the bridge is tentatively scheduled to reopen May 10.

During the winter closure, the bridge has received a new bridge deck and a rebuilt bascule, the movable span of the bridge, said Daniel Triana, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

In addition, new railings with four bars have been installed, replacing the previous parapets. A new bridge operator’s control desk and about 80 percent of the new electrical components that operate the movable bridge and cameras will be installed, he said.

Electrical and mechanical issues led to severe issues last summer when the bascule failed to close properly, with emergency closures that tied up traffic. In late July 2016, an emergency closure in the middle of a Saturday afternoon that lasted several hours caused traffic jams not only on Route 37 but also along Hooper Avenue and through Brick Township as motorists detoured to Route 35 to reach the barrier peninsula.

That incident prompted demands from state legislators and local politicians to address the bridge's issues.

The third phase of the project, scheduled to begin in late 2017, will include installation of new warning gates and lights, new bridge approaches and cast-in-place anchor spans, Triana said.

Photo by Karen Wall