Route 9 Closures, Road Work Move North In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Route 9 will be closed overnight from Church Road to Cox Cro Road starting Monday evening as work on a $48.5 million project to ease congestion along the road in Toms River and Lakewood continues.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation said the closures will begin at 9 p.m. and run through 5 a.m. Mondays through Fridays for about three months.

This is the second section of this portion of the project, where water mains are being relocated to make room for the work that needs to be done to widen intersections along Route 9 and add two more traffic signals along 7 miles of the road, from Indian Head Road in Toms River to 2nd Street in Lakewood.

The project is anticipated to be finished in the summer of 2025.

The new traffic signals will be at Oak Street and at the Broadway/Chateau Drive intersection, both in Lakewood. At seven intersections where there are no signals, left-turn lanes will be added.

The first stretch had closed Route 9 from Indian Head Road to Church Road. For the current closure stretch, the following detours will be in place overnight:

Route 9 southbound between Cox Cro Road and Church Road detour:

• Motorists on Route 9 southbound will be directed to turn right onto Cox Cro Road
• Turn left onto Whitesville Road/CR 571
• Turn left onto Stevens Road back to Route 9

Route 9 northbound between Church Road and Cox Cro Road detour:

• Motorists on Route 9 northbound will be directed to turn right onto Church Road
• Turn left onto Old Freehold Road
• Turn left onto Cox Crow Road back to Route 9

Pedestrian safety improvements include the installation of 1.6 miles of new sidewalks, reconstructing 5.9 miles of sidewalks, and the installation of hundreds of ADA-compliant ramps. At signalized intersections, pedestrian countdown heads, push buttons, and signage will be added or updated. Wider shoulders will be incorporated in certain areas to improve bicycle safety and guiderail will be updated.

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