Toms River Sinkhole Update: 2 Lanes Still Closed, Delays Tuesday

TOMS RIVER, NJ - A collapsed stormwater pipe under Route 37 in Toms River and sinkhole continued to impact commuter traffic into Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The sinkhole was reported at around 5 a.m. Monday, Toms River police said. There were no reports of damaged vehicles or injuries as a result of the sinkhole, police said.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation has been handling the repair on the sinkhole, which forced the shutdown of two lanes westbound on Route 37, along with closing the intersection at Oak Ridge Parkway and Lakehurst Road to cross-traffic.

Two left lanes are still closed as of 6:55 a.m. on Tuesday, despite the work anticipated to be completed before 5 a.m., an NJDOT spokesman told Patch.

There is currently a 5- to 10-minute delay in the repair area, according to the NJDOT's 511.org traffic monitoring website.

The stormwater pipe was damaged and a section of it has to be replaced, officials said. The work has been complicated by natural gas lines that cross through the area of the sinkhole, requiring extra care while removing the broken pipe and installing the new section.

Lane reopening updates around the work site will be posted on the NJDOT's social media accounts, the spokesman said.