 What is now Route 72 was originally designated as Route S40 in the 1927 New Jersey state highway renumbering . It was to be a spur of Route 40 that was to run from Route 40 at Four Mile to Route 4 ( now US 9 ) in Manahawkin . By 1941 , the route was extended east to the intersection with Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom . In the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering , Route S40 was renumbered to Route 72 . By 1969 , Route 72 was moved to a new alignment to the south between US 9 and the Manahawkin Bay Bridge ; the old alignment became Route 180 . This route was eventually removed from the state highway system and is now CR 50 , although more commonly known as " Bay Avenue " . 
