Toms River: jewelry store sign mocks Route 166 construction delays

Jean Mikle | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Jeweler sends message to state about Toms River road project An electronic sign on Route 166 in Toms River mocks long delays on a road project that business owners say has cost them customers.

TOMS RIVER - The electronic sign at Corinne Jewelers asks the question that's likely on the minds of many who drive through construction delays at the intersection of Routes 166 and 37.

"12,000,000 for this?! Longest Construction Project Ever!" blares the sign, located along congested Route 166, at the jewelry store's entrance.

"That was done out of total frustration," jewelry store owner Ryan Blumenthal said of the sign, which was first displayed right before Memorial Day and posted on Facebook, where it quickly garnered thousands of views.

You can see the sign's message in the video above this story.

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The flashing sign has resonated with drivers who must navigate congestion and lane closures caused by the ongoing road project on Route 166, which started in March 2016.

"The whole town is just completely fed up," Blumenthal said. "It doesn’t just affect the businesses on that road. It's one of the most heavily traveled intersections in town. It affects everyone in town."

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As well as those just passing through.

The $11.8 million state-funded project to widen Route 166 from Old Freehold Road — south through the Route 37 intersection — to Colfax Street started way back in March 2016.

The work includes improvements to the jughandles between Route 166 and Route 37; traffic signal upgrades; construction of a median between the north- and southbound sections of the highway; relocation of utilities such as gas lines; and improvements to drainage and sidewalks, which will include ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The work was halted between July and October 2016 after then-Gov. Chris Christie ordered a shutdown of the Transportation Trust Fund over a dispute with the state Senate about an increase in the gasoline tax.

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“Because of the shutdown, New Jersey Natural Gas moved on to other work and only restarted its work in the summer of 2017,” state Department of Transportation spokesman Matthew D. Saidel told the Asbury Park Press earlier this year. “This caused a change to the overall project schedule, because the gas work needed to be completed prior to water utility relocation and beginning other roadwork.”

While access to businesses has been maintained throughout construction, nearby business owners have complained to township officials that the road work is keeping customers away.

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And there have been unexpected closures. In April, the popular restaurant Shut Up and Eat! was forced to shut down for a day after construction work blocked the business's driveway.

A week later, Schuster's Car Wash was forced to close after workers mistakenly disconnected the business's water supply. And the owners of the Office Lounge cried foul when all entrances to the popular restaurant were blocked earlier this year.

The ongoing disruptions have led to increasing frustration, both among business owners and members of Toms River's governing body, who in March implored Gov. Phil Murphy to make sure the work is completed by the end of this year.

"We knew it was going to be bad," Blumenthal said of the construction project. like I told the town council when I spoke to them if you’re in business long enough there is going to be a construction project. (But) businesses can’t take two years of construction. That is just absurd."

Blumenthal said Corinne Jewelers entrance was briefly blocked last week.

DOT spokesman Saidel said that the state's contractor, New Prince Concrete "was unable to provide timely notification before blocking a business owner's driveway," because the contractor was attempting to expedite work in the area.

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"Upon learning of this disruption, NJDOT staff immediately moved to rectify the situation by providing a flagger to help traffic move in and out of the driveway onto the roadway," Saidel said. "Work continued the next day with the business owner’s consent. While the blockage only lasted a short time, NJDOT will continue to make a good faith effort to communicate future disruptions, and develop plans to minimize them moving forward."

Saidel said the DOT "continues to work with township and county engineers to complete this project by the end of the year with minimal impacts to local businesses and residents."

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The completion date can't come soon enough, Toms River Council President Brian Kubiel said. He said there has been a lack of communication among the DOT, the state's contractor, New Prince Concrete, and local and county elected officials.

"The whole thing to me is just mind-baffling," Council President Brian Kubiel said. "Why is it that we can’t get this done? i really want a timeline for the completion of the project. The intersection is unsafe. It's down to one lane."

The traffic-plagued intersection has long led the township in the number of traffic accidents per year.

Traffic attempting to head north on Route 166 from eastbound Route 37 must use a jughandle that frequently fills with cars. Vehicles waiting to enter the jughandle from Route 37 often block cars attempting to drive north on Route 166.

Blumenthal said message on Corinne's electronic sign will remain in place for the foreseeable future.

"It just brings a little levity to the situation," he said. "We’re all thinking the same thing."

Jean Mikle: 732-643-4050, @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com