TRENTON, N.J. ? Gov. Jon S. Corzine shut down the state government Saturday after a deadline to adopt a new balanced budget expired, bringing road construction projects to a halt and furloughing tens of thousands of state employees indefinitely.

State parks, beaches and historic sites were expected to close Wednesday – the day after the July Fourth holiday.

It was a grim climax to a bitter dispute with Corzine’s fellow Democrats in the Assembly over his plan to increase the sales tax.

About 45,000 state employees were immediately furloughed. The order allows Corzine to keep 36,000 state employees working without pay. Services such as state police, prisons, mental hospitals and child welfare were to keep operating. Casinos could be forced to close.