Like the one-hit wonder the band 'Europe' put out, it's the final countdown of days until the NJ DOT says roadwork along the Route 37-166 stretch will be completed.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation has announced that Route 166 is scheduled to be closed and detoured in both directions overnight this week for final paving, which will mark the completion of the Route 166 intersection safety improvements project.

Work will start at 9:00 p.m. tonight, Monday, May 13 and go until 6:00 a.m. Tuesday and it'll be the same pattern each night this week until Friday morning, May 17.

NJDOT’s contractor, New Prince Concrete, is scheduled to close Route 166 in both directions between Route 37 and Mapletree Road for final paving between the intersection with Old Freehold Road and Route 37.

Local access to Route 166 will be maintained for residents and businesses.

In March, Route 166 reopened in its final configuration with two lanes in each direction.

Following the paving this week, there will be some landscaping and minor work taking place over the next few weeks, but it will have minimal impact traffic.

The following detour will be in place Monday through Thursday nights.

Route 166 northbound detour:

  • Traffic wishing to use Route 166 northbound will be directed to take Route 37 east
  • Go past Hooper Avenue and stay right following signs to CR549/Hooper Avenue north via the Lowell Avenue exit
  • From Lowell Avenue turn right onto Terrace Avenue
  • Turn right onto Hooper Avenue
  • Go through the intersection with Route 37 and stay right to take the jughandle for Edken Avenue/Walnut Street
  • Turn left at the stop sign at Edken Avenue, which becomes Walnut Street
  • Take Walnut Street and turn right on Old Freehold Road
  • Turn left on Mapletree to Route 166

Route 166 southbound detour:

  • Traffic on Route 166 southbound will be directed to turn left on Mapletree Road
  • Turn right on Hooper Avenue
  • Turn right on Route 37 west to Route 166

The $11,700,000.00 project includes upgrades for the intersection of Route 166 and Route 37 with a raised median barrier between opposing traffic, improvement of the roadway geometry, making traffic signal improvements between Highland Parkway and Old Freehold Road, and widening the roadway by constructing a new through lane on Route 166 northbound and southbound.

It also made traffic signal improvements between Highland Parkway and Old Freehold Road, and widened the roadway by constructing a new through lane on Route 166 northbound and southbound to help ease congestion.

In addition, the project made drainage improvements, constructed a retaining wall along the west side of Route 166 adjacent to the Dover Mall redevelopment and installed additional sign structures.

NJ DOT Spokewoman Mairin Bellack told WOBM News in February that the project will be done this spring for sure.

"The final configuration will be done in the spring," Bellack said at the time. "Unfortunately we have to wait for warmer weather to do the final paving but as of right now the construction has been done, it's just waiting for the final paving."

Delays after delays are the biggest reason the work has yet to be completed and none bigger than the aforementioned TTF Shutdown which not only stopped work but forced the DOT to reschedule times with utility companies to come back in and do the work they needed to do.

Variable message signs are still in place throughout the project limits to provide advance notification to motorists of all traffic pattern changes associated with the safety improvements project.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.

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