Belmar Boulevard Bridge Over Route 18 Under Construction

Traffic on Thursday has narrowed to one lane in each direction approaching the Belmar Boulevard bridge over Route 18 as part of a $3.2 million construction project aimed at repairing spans over the state road from Wall to Piscataway.

The state Department of Transportation says you’ll have to get used to seeing orange cones and lane closures on bridges over Route 18 as the agency embarks on the multi-million dollar construction project.

The DOT in a release said the project will mend the 38 bridges over the length of Route 18 in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, beginning in Wall Township. 

Single lane closures will be allowed on Route 18 in each direction during overnight and off-peak hours and shoulder closures will be allowed at any time. No closures will be allowed during weekends in the summer. The project is expected to be complete by fall, the release says.

“Maintaining our state’s transportation infrastructure in a state of good repair is a top priority at NJDOT,” DOT head James Simpson said in the release. “Performing these types of proactive, preventive repairs helps prolong the lifespan of these bridges and delays the need for more extensive and more expensive projects.”