Editing New Jersey Route 52

{{Short description|State highway in southern, New Jersey, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=NJ
|type=NJ
|route=52
|alternate_name=
|length_mi=2.74
|length_ref=<ref name="sld">{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/00000052__-.pdf|title=NJ 52 (South to North) |series=NJDOT Straight Line Diagrams |publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]] |date=March 2019 |access-date=March 17, 2020}}</ref>
|map={{maplink-road}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=Route 52 highlighted in red
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a=9th Street in [[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]]
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=NJ|US|9}} in Somers Point
|junction={{jct|state=NJ|CR|559|CR|585}} in [[Somers Point, New Jersey|Somers Point]]
|established=June 1, 1937<ref name="nj52created">{{cite news|title=Hoffman Signs 55 Measures|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15754874/nj_52_created_june_2_1937/|access-date=December 13, 2017|work=The Courier-News|publisher=`|date=June 2, 1937|page=11|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>
|counties=[[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May]], [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic]] 
|previous_type=NJ-old
|previous_route=51
|next_type=NJ
|next_route=53

}}
'''Route 52''' is a [[state highway]] in the southern part of the [[U.S. state]] of [[New Jersey]]. The highway runs {{convert|2.74|mi|km|2|abbr=on}} from 9th Street in [[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]], [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]] north  to [[U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey|U.S. Route 9]] (US 9, New Road) in [[Somers Point, New Jersey|Somers Point]], [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]]. It is composed mostly of a series of four-lane [[divided highway|divided]] bridges forming a [[causeway]] across [[Great Egg Harbor Bay]] from Ocean City to Somers Point known as the '''Howard S. Stainton Memorial Causeway''', also known as the '''9th Street Bridge'''. The remainder of the route is a surface road called MacArthur Boulevard that runs from the causeway to US 9. This section of the route formerly included the Somers Point Circle, now a traffic light, where Route 52 intersects [[County Route 559 (New Jersey)|County Route 559]] (CR 559) and [[County Route 585 (New Jersey)|CR 585]].

Route 52 was originally designated on June 1, 1937 to run from the Somers Point Circle northwest to [[Mays Landing, New Jersey|Mays Landing]]. This routing never came about and in 1953, Route 52 was designated onto its current alignment. CR 585 ran concurrent with the route south of the Somers Point Circle until 1971, when it was truncated to end at the Somers Point Circle. The circle was removed in 2010 as part of the bridge reconstruction. In 2006, construction began on the replacement of the Route 52 causeway that was built in the 1930s over the Great Egg Harbor Bay, beginning with guardrail repairs that reduced traffic to two lanes. In 2008, the northbound lanes of the causeway were opened to traffic. Construction on the southbound lanes was completed in late 2009. The entire project was completed in 2012, including other improvements such as the construction of fishing piers, boat ramps, bike paths, walking trails, gateways, and a new Ocean City Visitor Center. In addition, improvements were made to MacArthur Boulevard that included the addition of a [[center left-turn lane]] and the replacement of the Somers Point Circle with a traffic light.

== Route description ==
[[File:NJ 52 NB past Cape May CR 656.jpeg|thumb|left|View north at the south end of Route 52 in Ocean City]]
Route 52 begins in the [[Jersey Shore]] [[resort city]] of [[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]], [[Cape May County, New Jersey|Cape May County]]. The highway is a continuation of 9th Street, a {{convert|0.67|mi|km|adj=on}} road that terminates at the [[Ocean City Boardwalk (New Jersey)|Ocean City Boardwalk]] along the [[Atlantic Ocean]].  Designation for Route 52 begins at a point {{convert|0.09|mi|km}} west of the intersection of 9th Street at [[County Route 656 (Cape May County, New Jersey)|CR 656]] (Bay Avenue), where it continues to the northwest as a four-lane [[divided highway]].<ref name="sld"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/05081277__-.pdf |title=9th St (North to South)| series=NJDOT Straight Line Diagrams| publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation |date=March 2019 |access-date=May 23, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/05081019__-.pdf |title=9th St (East to West)| series=NJDOT Straight Line Diagrams| publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation |date=June 2020 |access-date=May 23, 2025}}</ref><ref name="google">{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=9th+street+and+palen+avenue+ocean+city,+nj&daddr=route+9+and+laurel+avenue+somers+point,+nj&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&rtol=0&sll=39.296314,-74.592876&sspn=0.058718,0.110035&ie=UTF8&ll=39.298041,-74.592361&spn=0.058716,0.110035&t=h&z=13|title=overview of New Jersey Route 52 |access-date=2009-03-09}}</ref> Immediately after beginning, Route 52 becomes the 9th Street Bridge, officially the Howard S. Stainton Memorial Causeway, a four-bridge [[causeway]] across [[Great Egg Harbor Bay]]. The route crosses over Great Egg Harbor Bay on a high-level bridge and then the longer Rainbow Harbor Channel. In between these two channels is an island where the Roy Gillian Welcome Center is located, with access from the southbound lanes. After crossing the Rainbow Harbor Channel, the road runs along another island, with a fishing pier adjacent to the southbound lanes, before crossing over the Great Egg Harbor Thoroughfare (part of the [[Intracoastal Waterway]]) and then a [[navigable channel|ship channel]] on another high-level bridge, where the route enters [[Somers Point, New Jersey|Somers Point]] in [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic County]].<ref name="sld"/><ref name="google"/>

[[File:NJ 52 in Somers Point.jpg|right|thumb|Route&nbsp;52 southbound in Somers Point, approaching the causeway into Ocean City]]
After the ship channel, Route 52 crosses onto the mainland and intersects with [[County Route 559 (New Jersey)|CR 559]] (Mays Landing Road) and [[County Route 585 (New Jersey)|CR 585]] (Shore Road), formerly at the Somers Point [[traffic circle]].<ref name="sld"/> In October 2010, the circle was eliminated and replaced by a traffic light.<ref name=pressac3>{{cite news|last=Good|first=Dan|date=2010-10-18|agency=Press of Atlantic City|title=Local restaurants could lose business, as construction crews eliminate Somers Point traffic circle|access-date=2010-11-08|url=http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/northfield_linwood_somers-point/article_303894da-dabc-11df-ae06-001cc4c03286.html}}</ref> Beyond the former Somers Point Circle, Route 52 becomes a five-lane road with a [[center left-turn lane]] known as MacArthur Boulevard that heads north through commercial areas, soon narrowing to three lanes. The road curves northwest as a two-lane divided highway and enters residential areas.<ref name="google"/> Route 52 comes to an end at an intersection with [[U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey|US 9]] (New Road). The road continues northwest as Laurel Drive for {{convert|0.65|mi|km}}, which heads through a residential neighborhood before terminating at a partial interchange with the [[Garden State Parkway]], with access to the northbound parkway and access from the southbound parkway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.gov/transportation/refdata/sldiag/pdf/01211145__-.pdf |title=Laurel Drive (West to East)| series=NJDOT Straight Line Diagrams| publisher=New Jersey Department of Transportation |date=March 2019 |access-date=May 30, 2025}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Ocean City Causeway 1914.jpg|thumb|left|The original causeway between Ocean City and Somers Point opened in 1914.]]

Prior to 1914, access to the island city of [[Ocean City, New Jersey|Ocean City]] was only available by [[horse and buggy]], [[ferry]], or [[railroad]].  With the growing usage of the automobile, plans for a [[causeway]] to support automotive traffic were announced in 1912.<ref>{{cite report|title=National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet: Ocean City City Hall, Ocean City, NJ|url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/370b8674-295c-4b90-8313-35b873597070|format=PDF|date=February 7, 1997|publisher=United States National Park Service|access-date=March 1, 2018|pages=12–13}}</ref> The causeway opened on April 11, 1914 as the Somers Point Boulevard Bridge, connecting 9th Street in the northern part of Ocean City with the [[mainland]] town of [[Somers Point, New Jersey|Somers Point]] via a set of four bridges.<ref name="Miller">{{cite book|first=Fred|last=Miller|title=Ocean City: America's Greatest Family Resort|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRUufTZqweQC|year=2003|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-2447-4}}</ref>{{rp|46}}  The causeway was later replaced in 1933, with a new set of bridges that were four lanes wide without [[shoulder (road)|shoulders]].<ref name=Inquirer>{{cite news |first=Jacqueline L. |last=Urgo |title=Bottleneck at Shore will be a breeze|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=February 10, 2008}}</ref>

Route 52 was designated on June 1, 1937,<ref name="nj52created" /> to run from the Somers Point Circle northwest to [[New Jersey Route 48|Route 48]] (now [[U.S. Route 40 in New Jersey|US 40]]) and [[New Jersey Route 50|Route 50]] in [[Mays Landing, New Jersey|Mays Landing]].<ref name=nj1937>State of New Jersey, Laws of 1937, Chapter 86.</ref> However, Route 52 was never built to run to Mays Landing.<ref name="mwm">{{cite map|publisher=Mid-West Map Co.|title= Map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey |year=1941|cartography=[[H.M. Gousha]]|url=http://www.mapsofpa.com/roadcart/1941_1467m.jpg|access-date=2009-03-28}}</ref> In the [[1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering]], Route 52 was designated to run from the Ocean City side of the causeway, north to US 9 in Somers Point.<ref name="nj1953">{{Cite journal|title=1953 renumbering|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|publisher=New Jersey Department of Highways|access-date=July 31, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628183145/http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1953_New_Jersey_state_highway_renumbering|archive-date=June 28, 2011}}</ref>

With the creation of the [[500-series county route (New Jersey)|500-series county routes]] in New Jersey in 1952, CR 585 was designated to run along Route 52 between the southern terminus and the Somers Point Circle as part of its route between [[New Jersey Route 109|Route 109]] in [[Lower Township, New Jersey|Lower Township]] and [[U.S. Route 30 in New Jersey|US 30]] and [[New Jersey Route 157|Route 157]] in [[Absecon, New Jersey|Absecon]].<ref name="chevron">{{cite map|publisher=[[Chevron Oil Company]]|title= Map of New Jersey |year=1969|cartography=[[H.M. Gousha]]}}</ref>

Eventually, the southern terminus of CR 585 was truncated to the Somers Point Circle.<ref name="sld"/>

In 1983, the causeway was officially named the Howard S. Stainton Memorial Causeway, after the Ocean City entrepreneur and philanthropist, who died in 1979.<ref name="Miller"/>{{rp|91}}

The causeway underwent a minor renovation in 1988. This saw the operator room expanded, equipment replaced, and controls modernized.<ref>https://nj-dot.nj.gov/transportation/works/environment/pdf/Historic_BR_CapeMay.pdf</ref>

On January 16, 2006, the [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]] reduced traffic on the bridges from four lanes to two lanes to limit the weight on the old structures. The highway was reopened to four lanes of traffic after guardrail repairs were made on May 17, 2006, with a new speed limit of {{convert|35|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/press/2006/051706.shtm|title= NJDOT doubles capacity of Route 52 Causeway|publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|date=May 17, 2006|access-date=2009-03-09}}</ref>

[[File:2018-08-09 17 08 56 View south along New Jersey State Route 52 (Howard Stainton Memorial Causeway) in Ocean City, Cape May County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|right|Route 52 southbound on the causeway between Somers Point and Ocean City]]
Between 2006 and 2012, a new $400 million [[causeway]] was built to replace the 1933 causeway over the Great Egg Harbor Bay. The original causeway was in need of replacement due to deteriorating conditions of the bridges, increasing automobile and marine traffic on the Great Egg Harbor Bay, flooding from storms, and a high accident rate due to narrow lanes and a lack of shoulders.<ref name=njdot>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/roads/route52/faqs.shtm |title=Route 52 Causeway Bridge Replacement, Frequently Asked Questions, Construction Updates, Commuter Information|publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|access-date=2009-03-09}}</ref> The causeway also contained two [[Moveable bridge|drawbridge]]s, which led to traffic jams during the summer months.<ref name=Inquirer2/>  After years of delays, construction began on the new bridge in September 2006. Crews began the project by clearing a staging area on Garrets Island near the Ocean City side.<ref name=pressac>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Miller |title=Five-year job to cost $400 million |work=[[Press of Atlantic City]]|date=September 26, 2006}}</ref> The northbound bridge was completed in April 2008 and the southbound bridge was completed in April 2009.<ref name = Inquirer/><ref name=njdot2>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/press/2008/091208.shtm|title=NJDOT announces Route 52 Causeway southbound lane closure |publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|date=September 12, 2008|access-date=2009-03-09}}</ref><ref name=njdot3>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/press/2009/093009.shtm|title=NJDOT breaks ground on second phase of Route 52 Causeway replacement in Ocean City and Somers Point |publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]|date=September 30, 2009|access-date=2010-06-21}}</ref> During the bridge construction, excavated sand was removed from the bay and deposited onto [[Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey#Parks and protected areas|Malibu Beach Wildlife Management Area]], as part of environmental mitigation.<ref>{{Cite conference|title=Strategic Public Partnering For Ecological Benefit|url=http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ncer2009/PPTPDF_pres/Poster/session%201/NCER%20POSTER-comp-Bevilacqua.pdf|author=Robert A. Bevilacqua|author2=Michael Baker Jr.|conference=National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration|date=July 20–24, 2009|access-date=September 12, 2018|archive-date=January 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103200408/http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2009/PPTPDF_pres/Poster/session%201/NCER%20POSTER-comp-Bevilacqua.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> In May 2012, construction of the causeway was completed, with all four lanes opened to traffic.<ref name=Inquirer2>{{cite news |first=Jacqueline L. |last=Urgo |title=Route 52 Causeway ready for the season in Ocean City, N.J.|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=May 17, 2012|access-date=May 18, 2012|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120517_Route_52_Causeway_ready_for_the_season_in_Ocean_City__N_J_.html}}</ref>
[[File:2018-09-16 10 34 26 View north along New Jersey State Route 52 (MacArthur Drive) at Atlantic County Route 585 (Shore Road) and Atlantic County Route 559 (Mays Landing Road) in Somers Point, Atlantic County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|Route 52 northbound past CR 559 and CR 585 in Somers Point]]
In addition to the new causeway, the project also called for the construction of fishing piers, boat ramps, bike paths, walking trails, and gateways at each end of the causeway, including a new visitor center with a scenic overlook on the Ocean City side.<ref name=Inquirer/> Also, other improvements were made to the MacArthur Boulevard portion of Route 52 including the addition of a center left-turn lane and the replacement of the Somers Point Circle with a traffic light, which was eliminated in October 2010.<ref name=pressac3/><ref name=Inquirer/><ref name=njdot/> As a result of the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]] signed into law by President [[Barack Obama]] on February 17, 2009, $70 million, or about 8 percent of the money allocated to New Jersey in the bill, went to the construction of the second half of the Route 52 causeway project.<ref name=pressac2>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Michael |title=Slow economy may drop Route 52 causeway cost |work=[[Press of Atlantic City]]|date=March 7, 2009}}</ref>

From 2012 to 2014, [[annual average daily traffic]] (AADT) on the causeway went from 18,584 to 22,116, an increase of 19 percent.  The latest AADT of the MacArthur Boulevard section, from 2012, is 11,540.<ref name="sld"/>

On July&nbsp;19, 2021, a pilot made an emergency landing on the bridge after encountering engine problems shortly after takeoff; the plane was undamaged, and traffic was briefly halted.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pilot, 18, lands banner plane on Ocean City bridge; no injuries|agency=Associated Press|work=The Times Herald|location=Norristown, PA|date=July 20, 2021|url=https://www.timesherald.com/news/national-news/pilot-18-lands-banner-plane-on-ocean-city-bridge-no-injuries/article_9b1dbd1b-170e-56c8-9bbc-6b4f7c607d11.html|access-date=July 22, 2021}}</ref>

== Major intersections ==
{{Jcttop|length_ref=<ref name="sld"/>}}
{{NJint
|county=Cape May
|mile=0.00
|road=9th Street
|location=Ocean City
|notes=Southern terminus; continues as 9th Street
}}
{{Jctbridge
|mile=0.15
|mile2=1.91
|river=[[Great Egg Harbor Bay]]
|bridge=Howard S. Stainton Memorial Causeway
}}
{{NJint
|mile=2.11
|road={{jct|state=NJ|CR|559|dir1=north|name1=Mays Landing Road|CR|585|dir2=north|name2=Shore Road|city1=Mays Landing|city2=Atlantic City|city3=Pleasantville}}
|notes=Former Somers Point Circle; southern termini of CR 559 and CR 585
|county=Atlantic
|cspan=2
|location=Somers Point
|lspan=2
}}
{{NJint
|mile=2.74
|road={{jct|state=NJ|US|9|name1=New Road|to2=to|GSP|dir2=south}}<hr>{{jct|state=NJ|road|West Laurel Drive|to2=to|GSP|dir2=north||ACE}}
|notes=Northern terminus; continues as West Laurel Drive
}}
{{Jctbtm}}

==See also==
*{{Portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}
*{{Portal-inline|New Jersey}}
*[[New Jersey Route 152]] - Nearby state highway connecting barrier islands with the mainland

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|New Jersey Route 52}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
*[http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/roads/route52/ Route 52 Causeway Bridge Replacement Overview], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]
*[http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/traffic_orders/speed/rt52.shtm Speed Limits for Route 52]
*[http://www.oceancitygazette.com/Bridge_construction/bridge_construction.htm Route 52 Bridge Construction: Updates & Photos]

{{Crossings navbox
|structure       = Crossings
|place           = [[Great Egg Harbor Bay|Great Egg Harbor]]
|bridge          = Stainton Memorial Causeway
|bridge signs    = [[Image:Circle sign 52.svg|20px]] 
|upstream        = [[Great Egg Harbor Bridge]] 
|upstream signs  = [[Image:GSPkwy Shield.svg|20px]][[Image:US 9.svg|20px]]
|downstream      = [[Ocean City–Longport Bridge]]
|downstream signs = [[File:CR 656 jct.svg|20px]][[Image:Ocean Drive NJ.svg|20px]]
}}

{{good article}}

[[Category:Intracoastal Waterway]]
[[Category:State highways in New Jersey|052]]
[[Category:Transportation in Atlantic County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Transportation in Cape May County, New Jersey]]