Two Lanes Open to Seaside As Parade Day Nears

Shamrocks hung from light poles on the Boulevard, truckloads of beer were being delivered to the Beachcomber and JR’s and a crew of employees at the Karma nightclub were putting the finishing touches on an outdoor party tent on Thursday afternoon.

The annual Seaside Heights St. Patrick’s Day parade is officially a go. But hours before the first float begins rolling, apprehensive motorists were hoping they wouldn’t be brought to a halt thanks to detours and lane closures as part of the ongoing Route 35 reconstruction project.

Two weeks ago, on a sunny Saturday much like the one forecast for parade day, drivers got caught in hours of delays as tens of thousands of people packed the borough for the annual charity Polar Plunge event.

Ever since, local officials have been scrambling to do whatever they can to avoid a repeat of the Feb. 22 traffic jam despite what some have called a lack of cooperation from the state Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over the reconstruction project. At the heart of local worries is the fact that the project affects the inbound and outbound lanes of the Route 37 bridge.

State transportation officials have already taken one step promised to local community leaders in preparation for parade day. By Thursday night, two lanes were opened in and out of Seaside Heights, compared to only one lane on plunge day.

The merge into a single lane from three on the Route 37 bridge was blamed for a bottleneck that stretched for miles two weeks ago.

On Route 35, however, the regular detours were still in place. Crews were seen repainting lane stripes in the area of Route 35 north in Ortley Beach which now carries traffic in both directions thanks to the detour.

Seaside Heights officials have promised an easier ride in than two weeks ago. Borough Administrator John Camera told NJ.com that state transportation officials promised parade day would be "ten times better than it was during the Polar Bear Plunge."