Route 34 overnight lane closures needed to shift traffic as the Bridge over Former Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad replacement project begins in Wall

Project will widen Bridge and improve safety

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the start of a bridge replacement project on Route 34 in Wall, Monmouth County. The Route 34 Bridge over Former Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad spans the 5.5-mile Edgar Felix Memorial Bikeway. The bridge is approximately one-quarter mile south of Atlantic Avenue.

Beginning at 8 p.m., tonight, Monday, September 23, until 6 a.m. the following morning, Tuesday, September 24, and continuing each night, Monday through Friday through the fall, NJDOT’s contractor, Green Construction, will close the left lane on Route 34 in both directions to create a center work zone and shift traffic slightly to the right. One lane of traffic will be maintained on Route 34 in both directions overnight and two lanes will be available each morning.

The lane closure on Route 34 will be between milepost 2.0 and 1.4. The closures will allow for the removal of the concrete center median and the construction of temporary pavement in the median. Some daytime work may be required between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day during construction.

In a later stage during the bridge replacement, the bike path underneath the bridge will be closed and detoured in that area, to ensure the safety of bicyclists. Work will be scheduled to minimize the duration of the bikeway detour to the maximum extent possible. In addition, in the area of Allenwood Road, a permanent Dynamic Message Sign will be erected for safety and information messaging purposes.

The $9.7 million federally-funded project will replace the Route 34 Bridge over the Former Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad, which is now the Edgar Felix Memorial Bikeway. Built in 1935, the bridge is in poor condition. The project will replace the bridge and widen it, as well lower the profile of the roadway to improve the sight distance. Currently, the road has two 10-foot lanes in each direction with two-foot shoulders. The new bridge will have two standard 12-foot lanes in each direction and 10-foot wide shoulders. Also, a new culvert will be constructed under the bridge to accommodate the bike path. The project will be constructed in stages to minimize the impact on the public and is expected to be completed by the fall of 2020.

Variable Message Signs will provide advance notification to motorists of traffic pattern changes

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associated with the work. The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.

Please note, the NJDOT Communications Office has a new phone number – 609-963-1975.