The trucks left Main, Broad and South in early October, and the timing was deliberate. The borough finished replacing water, sewer and drainage lines under that intersection in September. Merchants had asked for a seasonal break from that work during the holidays, and they are getting one. Downtown Manasquan now has a quiet stretch running from Squantoberfest to the tree lighting. Construction resumes in January, starting with a county roundabout and followed by a full rebuild of the sidewalks.
Each phase depends on the one before it, and that order decides which end of Main Street has cones this fall and why the corner by the Plaza will look different by next summer.
Why the Work Started at the Oldest Corner
The first round of digging went under the Main, Broad and South intersection, which The Coast Star calls the oldest known intersection in town. MSP Construction Corp. did the work, and it cost the borough about $1.1 million. The reason for starting there is that Monmouth County plans to build a modern roundabout at the same spot. The borough set the schedule so the pipes go in first and the new roundabout never has to be dug up afterward.
The county describes the intersection's current problem in detail. Broad Street and South Street meet Main at offset points very close together. Drivers crossing from one to the other make a "jog" that interrupts traffic on Main, and weekday peak periods back up. Over a three-year study period the county documented 24 crashes there. Rear-end crashes were the most common type at 25%, followed by left-turn and backing crashes at 17% each.
Here is the full sequence as the borough and county have scheduled it:
- Underground utilities at Main, Broad and South. Started in August and finished in September.
- Route 71 streetscape, Segment D. Main Street from the Exxon to the train station. Scheduled for September 21 through December 15, 2026.
- County roundabout. Scheduled to begin in January 2027 and finish in early summer 2027. Some pre-construction work may appear in November and December.
- Downtown sidewalks and remaining utility segments. The brick sidewalks downtown, which have not been updated since 1999, will be replaced with patterned granite pavers starting in March 2027. Utility replacement in Segment A, from Atlantic Avenue to South Street Plaza, and Segment C, from Joe Leone's to the Exxon, runs on the same timeline.
Council President Jay Bryant told The Coast Star that the projects will "make our downtown safer, more reliable and more welcoming while protecting Manasquan's small-town character."
The End of Main Street That Stays Busy Until Mid-December
The break applies to the downtown core. The stretch of Main Street between the Exxon and the train station, along Route 71, has active construction through mid-December. That work is paid for by a $2.8 million federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant and covers new sidewalks, curbs, resurfaced pavement and energy-efficient lighting. The Borough of Manasquan says to expect variable lane shifts and sidewalk closures there. The Coast Star adds that some delays and partial road closures are likely while crews are working.
This segment was moved up in the schedule. The borough's project tracker shows that on September 22 it shifted from March through May 2027 to this fall. After December 15 it pauses through February and then returns for March through May 2027 to finish.
A second project is starting in a residential area. Fletcher Avenue Phase 1, from North Potter to North Farragut, is scheduled for utility, sidewalk and curb work this fall, with the rest of the paving in spring 2027. The borough's sources give slightly different start dates. The project timeline shows October 1, while the borough homepage says early November.
Six Weeks of Events, Lined Up Against the Work
The busiest part of the downtown calendar falls almost entirely within the break. The table lists each event alongside the construction work going on nearby at the time.
| Date | Event | Where | Construction context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Squantoberfest fall market | Squan Plaza | Core intersection quiet; Route 71 segment active |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. | Squan Elks Trunk-or-Treat | Manasquan Elks parking lot | Same |
| Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 | Halloween Scarecrow Contest | Main Street | Same |
| Thu., Oct. 29, 6 to 8 p.m. | Parker Avenue closed for Mischief Night | Parker Avenue | Same |
| Thu., Nov. 19, 4 to 8 p.m. | Downtown Ladies Night | Main Street | Roundabout pre-construction possible |
| Fri., Nov. 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Pink Friday | Downtown | Same |
| Sat., Nov. 21, 10 and 11 a.m. | 43rd Manasquan Turkey Trot | Little League field, 69 Second Avenue | Same |
| Sat., Nov. 28, noon to 4 p.m. | Santa Visits | Downtown | Same |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 6 to 9 p.m. | Candy Cane Hunt and Tree Lighting | Main Street and Squan Plaza | Route 71 segment wraps Dec. 15 |
According to a Star News Group fall event guide, Squantoberfest is sponsored by the Manasquan Chamber of Commerce. The Committed Pig runs the beer tent and Joe Leone's provides the food, with crafters and live music filling out the Plaza. One Chamber-associated schedule lists Sunday, October 25 as the rain date. Chamber President Pauline Evans told The Coast Star that merchants are "happy to have a construction break so that visitors to Manasquan can easily access our great downtown area and shop and dine at our establishments."
Some event times disagree from one listing to another. Greater Manasquan shows the scarecrow display running October 27 through November 2. A Chamber-associated schedule runs it from October 24 to November 6. The borough lists the December 4 tree lighting as 6 to 9 p.m., and the Manasquan Chamber of Commerce calendar lists 6 to 10 p.m. If you're planning around the later hour, check with the organizers. The Turkey Trot is already full, so on November 21 most people will be watching the one-mile and five-mile starts from the sidelines.
The Storefronts Along the Break
Several of the businesses on this fall's route opened this year, and their addresses sit along the sections scheduled for new sidewalks next spring. NJ.com reported that a new market opened at 149 Main Street on March 1, bringing Lenny's Colonial Ranch Market, Shore Fresh Seafood, Mueller's Bakery and Batch on Main together under one roof. New Jersey Monthly identifies it as Lenny's Main Street Market. The Jersey Shore Girl reported that Coastal Canteen opened at 142 Main Street on May 20. The same outlet covered the announcement of a second Fahrenheit Coffee Company location in Manasquan, at 217 E. Main Street, this summer.
Joe Leone's is also a reference point for the project itself. The borough's maps use it as the boundary between Segment B and Segment C, which runs from Joe Leone's to the Exxon. When a project update mentions Segment C, it means the block in front of the restaurant that is catering Squantoberfest.
What Changes After the Tree Lighting
The break runs out in steps. On December 15 the Route 71 work stops for the winter. In January the county is scheduled to begin the roundabout. The Monmouth County roundabout project page says to expect a 30 to 40 day road closure with a detour during construction, while access to driveways and businesses inside the project area stays open. The county is funding the project at about $1.5 million and was still in the bidding phase as of mid-October.
In March 2027, Route 71 work resumes and the granite paver replacement begins downtown. The county project page does not yet show a detour route for the roundabout closure.
For updates on closures, schedule changes and progress, the borough offers email alerts at squanprojects.com/alerts along with borough text notifications. Before you plan a January drive through the Main, Broad and South intersection, it's worth signing up.
Construction schedules change what downtown is like to live with, and they come up when buyers and sellers ask how a block will look a year from now. If you'd like to talk through how the 2027 Main Street work fits your plans for a home in town, Shire Realty has followed Manasquan's downtown for more than 40 years. Speak with a Jersey Shore real estate expert.
