Looking to head to the beach this weekend?
Pack your patience along with that sunscreen.
Also, throw in some concentration and common sense.
Along with the usual traffic volume you are expecting to encounter, construction along Route 72 in Manahawkin is sure to cause additional delays.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
While there may not be any actual work taking place on the weekend, there are narrowed roadways, along with new traffic patterns and interchanges to contend with for the foreseeable future.
Traffic will back up west of the Garden State Parkway overpass as the widening of the overpass is ongoing. This narrows the roadway beneath right where the on and off ramps are for the GSP North.
Find out what's happening in Barnegat-Manahawkinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The other major “hot spot” is at the LBI Causeway and beyond as the bridge replacement project is under way on the connector from Manahawkin to LBI. The project will replace the entire Causeway with work ongoing until an estimated completion date in 2020.
The main area of concern now to police and municipal officials on both sides of the bridge is the access roadway between the Causeway and the shorter bay bridge by Cedar Bonnet Island.
Both inbound and outbound traffic are now using the former outbound-only roadway, as the inbound and wide median are now the staging point for the construction equipment and material.
Driver’s should use extra caution here as the road narrows and the inbound flow is closed in with concrete barriers as it is merged on to the shared outbound roadway.
The U-turns and turn off for Cedar Bonnet Island are still there, but those using them are now exposed to the oncoming traffic.
As usual, Stafford Police are on duty on the side roads, such as Jennings Road and Mill Creek leading up to bridge, to ensure vehicles are proceeding safely through these residential neighborhoods.
