All lanes shifted to new Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridge

The opening of the second westbound lane on the new Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridge means all motor vehicle traffic is now traveling on the new span. Schiavone Construction Co. workers opened the additional lane overnight this past weekend, on Friday, May 13, into Saturday, May 14.

The initial shift of westbound traffic onto the new bridge occurred on Tuesday, May 10, which was about a week later than planned.

Photo by Marjorie Amon
Vehicular traffic is flowing in all
directions on the bridge. 

“This was delayed due to the rain that prevented NJDOT crews from paving and placing roadbed materials,” Kevin Israel, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said.

Israel stated that DOT officials are working on a plan to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians over the bridge. He said the shuttle service, which was available to individuals who normally walk or bicycle to and from LBI and the mainland via the bridge when the north sidewalk on the east and west thorofares of the bridge closed for demolition and reconstruction in November, will most likely resume after the summer. It had been suspended in February due to a decrease in ridership.

Eastbound traffic was shifted to one lane on the new bridge on April 22. The second lane was opened the following weekend but was temporarily closed to allow for the installation of the new pearl-like lighting, Israel noted. Heavy east- and westbound traffic delays occurred following the shift, but have since cleared up.

“The full summer traffic configuration will be in place by the end of the month,” Israel said. “Currently, we are constructing the approach and crossover roadways (east and west), associated drainage and highway lighting in preparation for placing traffic into the new pattern. We are also working on the final landscaping (topsoiling, seeding and tree planting) as well as constructing the median ponds and U-turns.”

The shift will permit work to be done on the existing bridge, which is structurally deficient and functionally obsolete after 57 years in existence. Upon completion of the rehabilitation work, that bridge will accommodate westbound traffic. The new bridge, at 2,400 feet long with a vertical clearance of 55 feet over Manahawkin Bay, will ultimately function as the bridge for eastbound traffic when the project is finished.

Work on the $350 million project was started in 2013 and is expected to continue through 2020. The 3-mile-long Causeway links Stafford Township on the mainland with Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island.

The new bridge parallel to the existing one over Manahawkin Bay will provide another route on or off the Island in the event that one of the bridges needs to be closed. This design is consistent with Christie administration objectives to build in strength or redundancy to better withstand future storms, DOT officials noted.

The existing Causeway sustained relatively minor damage during Superstorm Sandy, but future storm damage is a concern and the span had provided the only way for motor vehicles to get on and off LBI.

The DOT plans to maintain two travel lanes in each direction on the new bridge during the busy summer season, from mid-May to mid-September, throughout daytime hours and weekends. The contractor is allowed single-lane closures overnight and during the off-season, but one lane will always be maintained in each direction.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.