Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges Project Enters Final Phase

MANAHAWKIN, NJ — The long-term construction project rebuilding the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridge has reached its final phase, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday.

The $312 million project was broken up into five contracts and involved the construction of a new bridge parallel to the existing Manahawkin Bay Bridge. The existing bridge and the three trestle bridges will also be restored during the project.

The final construction contract for the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project is designed to improve safety and reduce congestion in Stafford Township at the intersection of Marsha Drive and Route 72, and in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island.

The project began in 2013 and is expected to be complete in 2022.

“Today, work on the final aspect of the long-term rebuild and rehabilitation of the Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridge will get underway in earnest,” Murphy said in a statement. “With new lanes that will be constructed at-grade and drainage and other improvements that will be made underground, the entirety of this project is part-and-parcel of our overall goal of ensuring the safe, modern, and resilient infrastructure that our state needs.”

The new bridge carries eastbound traffic, while the rehabilitated Old Causeway Bridge carries the westbound traffic. Environmental mitigation and improvements to Cedar Bonnet Island have been completed, including wetland creation, mitigation for freshwater wetlands and a public walking trail.

In Stafford Township, Marsha Drive will be widened to provide double left turn lanes onto Route 72 and a third lane will be added on Route 72 in both directions near the intersection.

“We appreciate the improvements that the NJDOT has made in Stafford Township over the past several years and we look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationship,” said Stafford Township Mayor Gregory Myhre.

In Ship Bottom, about 3,000 feet of Route 72 around 8th and 9th Streets, and three cross roads, including Barnegat Avenue, Central Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, will be widened.

Two-way traffic will be restored along Central Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard. Five traffic signals will be reconstructed and a new traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of 8th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.

A new storm drainage system and new outfalls will be installed in an effort to reduce frequent flooding along Route 72 and these intersections.

“This project was introduced in 1993 and proposed by the Department of Transportation in 2007,” said Ship Bottom Mayor William Huelsenbeck. “It has now become a reality and Ship Bottom, ‘The Gateway of Long Beach Island,’ couldn’t be happier.”

The project has been recognized by the Federal Highway Association and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for environmental excellence and for improving the quality of life for residents and visitors.

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