The intersection of routes 37 and 166 in Toms River. (Credit: Google Maps)
Ongoing work at the busy intersection of routes 37 and 166 in Toms River will pick up next week as lane shifts are applied to the area, the Ocean County Engineering Department said this week.
According to John Ernst, county engineer, the work is the latest aspect of a project that began about a year ago to improve safety and visibility at the intersection, especially now that it serves as an entrance and egress to numerous shopping centers.
Beginning on or about Jan. 17, officials said, traffic in the highway’s eastbound lanes will be shifted into the shoulder area and to the right to allow work on the median to go forward, as well as utility and drainage improvements. The project, county officials said, would last into 2018 with the lane shift taking up about six months.
Previously, the state Department of Transportation announced an $11,793,879 project to improve the area from Highland Parkway, near the Office Lounge restaurant, to Old Freehold Road, just past the Shop-Rite shopping center. The project will create a full “Jersey barrier” along Route 166 north of Route 37 and a traffic light at Highland Parkway, south of the highway.
The full technical specifications of the project can be found online.
