Signs on Shore Road in Somers Point indicate that a two-month detour that was supposed to begin on Wednesday night will now begin at 4 a.m. Saturday.

Traffic moving between Shore Road in Somers Point and the Route 52 causeway to Ocean City will be detoured for about two months while construction crews demolish an old trolley bridge.

The shallow depression that the bridge currently spans will be filled in, and the bridge will be replaced by continuous roadway. 

Traffic heading northbound (from the causeway) will be diverted to Goll Avenue, Bay Avenue, then New York Avenue. Traffic heading southbound on Shore Road (toward the causeway) will be detoured to New York Avenue, Bay Avenue, then Goll Avenue.

The state will provide signs informing motorists that Shore Road businesses will remain open and accessible during the construction project. The state will adjust the detour to accommodate the April 30 Bayfest celebration on Bay Avenue.

The construction is part of a five-year, $400 million project to replace the Route 52 causeway with an elevated roadway and two fixed-span bridges. The project includes the elimination of the Somers Point circle and improved access to the historic Somers Mansion, which is adjacent to the old trolley bridge.