Causeway’s East and West Thorofare bridges to reduce to single-lane traffic

Photo by Ryan Morrill
The new traffic pattern will remain
 in place until the springtime.

After Labor Day, traffic on the East and West Thorofare bridges of the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridge will be shifted to the north side and reduced to a single lane in each direction, Kevin Israel, a state Department of Transportation spokesman, told The SandPaper.

This new traffic pattern is expected to remain until spring. During this time, construction will resume on the thorofare bridges. Bridge deck work, scour countermeasures and drainage improvements will be conducted.

The advertisement for the next contract, which involves the rehabilitation of the original bridge, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. A bid date is projected for the end of September. Labor for this contract consists of the removal and replacement of the complete superstructure, various highway paving, excavating and cofferdam work. Construction is anticipated to start later in the fall, Israel noted.

This summer, work completed included bulkhead repairs at the bridge abutments and the mending of the pier caps at the West Thorofare Bridge. New sidewalks were also created. Parking lot and pedestrian access ramps are presently under construction.

The shuttle service that was reinstated at the end of June for pedestrians and bicyclists to safely cross the bridge will continue to run until the sidewalk on the original bridge is reopened at some point in late 2019 or early 2020, said Israel. The shuttle schedule is not expected to change.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.