route 52 causeway bridge replacement graphic

Overview

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) began in Summer 2006 the first part of its $400 million project to replace the Route 52 Causeway bridges and the roadway section between Somers Point and Ocean City, including the elimination of the Somers Point Circle. The work is expected to last until 2012. This is one of NJDOT's largest projects and is critical because it is the emergency evacuation route for Ocean City.

Two fixed and two moveable bridges will be replaced by two bridges that will have two high fixed spans over Ship Channel and Beach Thorofare (Intracoastal Waterway) and a touchdown on Rainbow Island. The new roadway section will have two 12-foot lanes and 8-foot minimum outside shoulders in each direction separated by a concrete median barrier.

Continued coordination with officials and members of Ocean City and Somers Point as well as Atlantic and Cape May counties will be ongoing for the duration of the project which will also include community enhancements.

Work will be scheduled to not interfere with summer traffic. NJDOT offers NJ511 travel information.

Construction will be done in two parts:

 

July 2006 - December 2009

Construction will continue on the existing north- and southbound lanes of the Route 52 bridges at Elbow and Garrets Islands and the roadway over Rainbow Island. The northbound lanes will be built first without interfering with traffic. The southbound lanes will be constructed after traffic shifts over from the existing Causeway to the newly constructed northbound lanes prior to Memorial Day 2008.

June 2009 - December 2012

The rest of the causeway, including the elimination of the the two drawbridges, at the Ocean City and Somers Point limits and the elimination of the Somers Point Circle will take place along with improvements to MacArthur Boulevard.

This project extends from the intersection of Routes 9 and 52 in Somers Point, south along Route 52 (MacArthur Boulevard), through the Somers Point Circle and over Great Egg Harbor Bay to Ocean City at Ninth Street and Bay Avenue.

Rendering of future bridge (from Somers Point)
Rendering of future bridge (from Somers Point)