The Route 37 Mathis Bridge has been closed over the past two winters as part of a $74 million overhaul that should be completed the summer of 2018
SEASIDE HEIGHTS -- Motorists using the Route 37 Mathis Bridge to get to Seaside Heights and other towns along the Jersey Shore will have an easier time of it starting May 15 when construction shuts down for the summer.
The Route 37 Thomas A. Mathis Bridge (left) between Toms River and Seaside Heights is reopening for the summer With summer - and its accompanying crowds approaching - the state Department of Transportation is suspending construction until the fall, said Dan Triana, a DOT spokesman.
The 65-year-old span over Barnegat Bay between Toms River and Seaside Heights has been closed since November for a major overhaul and one lane of the adjacent three-lane J. Stanley Tunney Bridge has been used to carry traffic eastbound in the interim.
Because of the volume of traffic it handles in summer, state officials decided to stretch the work out over three years, with construction stopping a couple weeks before Memorial Day weekend each year.
This is the second year of construction for a $74 million federally funded project that is expected to be completed by summer 2018.
When the bridge resumes its usual operations later this month, it will have a new bridge deck for the entire span and the movable part of the bridge will have been rebuilt, Triana said.
Also, the bridge will have new four-bar railings replacing the low wall that had been in place.
This season's work also included installation of a new control desk for the bridge operator. About 80 percent of the new electrical components that operate the movable bridge and cameras will be installed, he said.
The final winter construction season, includes the installation of new warning gates and lights, new bridge approaches and the cast-in-place anchor spans are expected to be completed.
All three lanes of both bridges are open between May 15 and Sept. 15 to accommodate summer traffic.
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