Route 35 Could Change Completely In 2 Barrier Island Towns In NJDOT Plan

LAVALLETTE and TOMS RIVER, NJ — The state Department of Transportation is holding two public hearings Monday on its proposal to completely reconfigure Route 35 in Lavallette and Toms River.

The sessions are set for 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lavallette Municipal Building, 1306 Grand Central Ave., Lavallette. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Moose Lodge at 1801 Bay Blvd. in Ortley Beach.

The meetings will be accepting public comment, but those who cannot attend can submit comments online through July 27.

The NJDOT is calling the proposal a "concept development study" for Route 35 from Barnegat Avenue to West Channel Way.

According to Shorebeat, the plan would force drivers to back into diagonally angled parking spaces, to eliminate vehicles backing out into traffic.

It also includes the possibility of making Route 35 both north and south on the portion that passes through Ortley Beach and Lavallette, according to the Shorebeat report, meaning the road would have two-way traffic on both Route 35 North and Route 35 South. The roads would later realign back to a divided highway, the report said.