2011: The westbound side of the Route 37 J. Stanley Tunney Bridge, which connects Toms River to Seaside Heights over Barnegat Bay, will be reduced to two lanes from three for the next six months while its repainted.
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The Mathis Bridge, Route 37 eastbound from Toms River, has been closed to all traffic at 9 a.m. Monday Oct. 29, fire officials say.
The closure will take place "till further notice at this time," fire officials said.
The barrier island is under a mandatory evacuation order for Hurricane Sandy, expected to pelt the Toms River area with 85 mph winds and surging waters with heavy rain.
Route 35 southbound of Seaside Heights is also closed, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Since yesterday, Toms River Police have been patrolling the area at the base of the bridge near Fischer Boulevard. Today, Office of Emergency Management officials announced the Route 37 bridge eastbound would be closed to traffic.
Westbound lanes for Route 37 on the Tunney bridge remain open. Residents who have yet to evacuate are urged to go now.
Two shelters are operating in Toms River: Toms River High School North Pine Belt Arena at 1245 Old Freehold Road and Toms River High School East at 1225 Raider Way. TRHS East opened at 9 a.m. Monday.
Route 37 and 35 are state roads overseen by the Department of Transportation, who yesterday dispatched crews around 5 p.m. to secure parts of the eastbound span near the drawbridge in anticipation of the storm.
During Hurricane Irene, the bridge was ordered closed but opened briefly before closing again during and after the storm. For an updated status on the eastbound lanes, check out this live traffic map or the NJ511 traffic map.
For the latest Hurricane Sandy coverage from Toms River Patch visit our topic page here.
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barbara
9:33 am on Monday, October 29, 2012
hmmmm, read in earlier article that an emergency bus transportation was available at A&P in Ortley, how they gonna get over the bridge if need be?
Catherine Galioto
10:18 am on Monday, October 29, 2012
The bus, when it is active, would be running westbound. Call the Toms River OEM Hurricane Hotline at 732-818-9901 for more info on the evacuation bus schedule.
Catherine Galioto
10:30 am on Monday, October 29, 2012
This story was updated at 10:30 a.m. with a traffic map and more information on the road closures. Portions of Route 35 southbound of Seaside Heights are currently closed, according to DOT.