The portion of the barrier island from the Mantoloking Bridge to Normandy Beach will be closed off to residents for four days while New Jersey Natural Gas re-pressurizes gas lines in the area.

Only a limited number of emergency personnel will be allowed to remain in the area from Dec. 3 through Dec. 7, said Brick Police Sgt. Keith Reinhard.

The decision to disallow access in the area was made jointly by NJNG and Brick Township Office of Emergency Management.

"This is being done as a safety precaution as NJNG will be starting to pressurize the gas lines, starting at Downer Ave in Mantoloking and working their way south on Rt. 35," Reinhard said in a statement Thursday night.

"Although we recognize this to be a major inconvenience for homeowners and contractors, this is necessary and brings us one step closer to getting back to some sense of normalcy," Reinhard said. "This is also an essential measure needed in order to get gas services back to individual homes and more importantly getting residents back into their homes."

In the event NJNG completes the re-pressurization process prior to Dec. 7 and the area is deemed safe, it will be re-opened to the public "without delay," officials said.