Veterans Boulevard Westbound To Close Starting Friday During Construction

The westbound portion of Veterans Boulevard between Central Regional High School and Western Boulevard will be closed to traffic starting on Friday to allow for the reconstruction of the roadway, Lt. James Blair said.

"Starting Friday it will turn into a one-way road," he said. "It will only allow eastbound traffic between the between the high school and Western Boulevard."

The Ocean County Engineering Department has been moving utilities and doing prep work on the roadway for the past few weeks. But the actual reconstruction will begin on Friday, Blair said.

Motorists heading westbound can use a detour at Veterans Boulevard and Western Boulevard and take Western to Northern Boulevard to Grand Central Parkway, he said.

"Once they get to Grand Central, they can make a left that will take them to the high school, or a right if they want to get on the parkway," Blair said.

The detours will be in place 24 hours a day, for a minimum of two weeks, he said.

"It's not making a lot of people happy, but the only time they can do it is in the summer, so it doesn't disrupt school," Blair said.

The county has already installed temporary traffic signals at Western and Northern boulevards and Grand Central Parkway, he said.

"They will activate them when they close the road," Blair said. "They are blinking right now, so people will get used to them."

Ocean County's $1.67 million reconstruction project will widen the roadway, add an extra eastbound lane and smooth out dangerous curves, Ocean County Engineer Frank Scarantino has said.

The county has placed temporary traffic signals More than 4,300 feet of roadway will be improved. A second eastbound lane will be added along the heavily traveled stretch, easing traffic for commuters who get off the Garden State Parkway at Exit 77 for the northern part of Lacey Township and Bayville.

Veterans Boulevard is also heavily used by traffic going to and from Central Regional High School and Middle School.

The project also calls for improvements to the road's curves - how they sit vertically and horizontally - to improve sight distances. Banking will also be added to improve the safety of how vehicles travel through them, Scarantino has said.

The roadway's shoulders will also be widened.

About 2,300 feet of drainage pipe, 25 drain structures and two stormwater infiltration basins will be built to address drainage issues and naturally filter the water that drains off the road before it reaches Barnegat Bay.