TRENTON – The state Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today advised motorists heading to events in Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Lavallette, and Island Beach State Park this weekend that Route 37 is the best option to and from the Barnegat Peninsula.
Construction to rebuild Route 35 has resumed and motorists should be alert and use caution when driving through work zones.
In order to minimize congestion and help traffic flow as smoothly as possible, NJDOT has worked with its contractors, local officials, and event organizers to maintain the normal complement of lanes on Route 35 from the interchange of Route 37 in Seaside Park and south to Island Beach State Park. In addition, VMS boards on the Garden State Parkway will direct event traffic to Route 37, and NJDOT and law enforcement personnel will monitor select traffic signals in Lavallette and north through Bay Head to help ease congestion.
Motorists should be aware sections of Route 35 through Mantoloking are reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic, and one lane is closed for construction in each direction from Curtis Point Drive at the border of Brick and Mantoloking through Ortley Avenue in Lavallette.
Visitors should allow for more travel time in getting to their destination and should be aware that there is limited median parking in Seaside Park because of the construction.
The department resumed work on Route 35 in earnest after Labor Day after suspending its construction on the roadway during the busy summer season to benefit the businesses, residents, and vacationers who make the Jersey Shore a prime tourist destination between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Route 35, which is the backbone of the Barnegat Peninsula, was severely damaged by Super Storm Sandy and is being completely rebuilt. The project is divided into three geographic sections and began last summer. Substantial progress has been made, including the complete reconstruction of the interchange between Route 37 and Route 35 that serves as a primary way on and off the peninsula.
The new stone-and-asphalt roadway will be 2-feet thick, providing a more stable road and smoother driving surface. A new storm-water drainage system for Route 35 has been designed to handle 25-year storms and will feature nine pump stations and treatment facilities to filter and purify the storm water prior to discharge into Barnegat Bay.
NJDOT has an accelerated schedule for this project to accomplish a massive amount of work in as short a timeframe as possible to bring the shore back better than ever. The Department is advancing this project in a manner that balances the desire to work expeditiously with the need to accommodate residents, business owners and visitors during busy summer vacation seasons.
