NJDOT to open new Route 9 culvert over
Potters Creek in Berkeley

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that the new Route 9 Potters Creek culvert in Berkeley Township, Ocean County will open to traffic on Tuesday, December 18.

“Opening the new Route 9 Potters Creek culvert will permanently stabilize this vital artery and prevent future flooding in this environmentally sensitive area,” said Commissioner Kris Kolluri.

On Tuesday, December 18, NJDOT will transition Route 9 traffic from the temporary bypass roadway onto the newly constructed bridge. Between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., the roadway will employ a single-lane alternating traffic configuration.

At approximately 6 a.m., Route 9 northbound traffic will be shifted onto the new structure, while southbound traffic will remain on the temporary structure. During this time, the temporary construction barrier will be removed. Once the barrier is moved and the lanes are striped, the southbound lane will be routed to the new structure, completely opening the new Route 9 Potters Creek culvert to traffic.

The new structure will carry one lane of traffic in each direction. It is designed to meet 100-year flood requirements and includes wetland restoration that will improve wildlife habitat.

During construction of the new bridge, NJDOT built a bypass roadway in lieu of a detour route in order to mitigate construction impacts upon local businesses, motorists and residents. The bypass allowed the existing travel lane configuration of Route 9 to be shifted onto the temporary bypass roadway, maintaining all lanes of traffic.

“Through the use of a temporary bypass roadway, rather than a detour, we have greatly reduced the construction impacts on motorists and area residents,” noted Tim Greeley, DOT spokesman.

This bypass will be deconstructed and all excavated material will be returned to the wetland area. Environmental, landscaping and paving work will continue until the completion of the $3.1 million project next April.

Variable message sign (VMS) boards will be installed to inform motorists regarding any traffic pattern changes. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website, https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/, for project updates.