Portion of 9th Street northbound in Ocean City to be temporarily closed

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that 9th Street northbound will be closed between West and Bay avenues next week for roadway reconstruction work in connection with the ongoing $400 million Route 52 Causeway replacement project.

Beginning Monday morning, May 2, NJDOT will close the several-block stretch of 9th Street northbound until Friday afternoon, May 6. Northbound motorists will be detoured to West Avenue to 8th Street to Bay Avenue and back to 9th Street, where they can proceed straight, turn left onto 9th Street southbound or turn right toward the causeway.

Access to residences and businesses on both sides of 9th Street will be maintained during the closure and detour.

The closure allows for construction of a new center lane along 9th Street that will provide motorists traveling in either direction with the ability to make left turns without impeding traffic flow. The leftmost of the two 9th Street northbound lanes between West and Bay avenues also will be reconstructed during the closure.

The new center lane for left turns initially will be used solely for northbound travel, ensuring that two travel lanes in each direction on 9th Street will be provided by Memorial Day. When reconstruction of the rightmost 9th Street northbound lane is completed in June, the center lane will be converted to a left-turn lane for traffic in both directions.

The Christie Administration recently announced changes to the Route 52 causeway construction contract that will benefit Ocean City and Somers Point business owners and visitors by ensuring four travel lanes during the busy summer tourist season.

Variable message signs and additional signage will be provided to assist motorists with the new traffic pattern and to inform the community that businesses will remain open and accessible from 9th Street southbound.

All work is weather permitting. Real time travel and construction information is available online at www.511nj.org