NJDOT Will Begin Work To
Re-Open I-80 In Morris County
The New Jersey Department of Transportation will begin work this weekend to re-open westbound Interstate 80 in Denville, which has been restricted to two lanes following the tractor-trailer fire that damaged the highway in June.
Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, New Jersey Department of Transportation employees and private contractor construction crews will begin dismantling the temporary bridge, asphalt approaches and safety devices that were installed June 22.
In order for the demolition to take place a section of I-80 westbound between Parsippany and Denville will need to be closed between 24 and 36 hours.
"Commuters and residents have been bearing the brunt of this inconvenience for the last three months. The NJDOT and its contractors have been working tirelessly to restore the road," said Transportation Commissioner James Weinstein. "We ask the motoring public bear just a bit more and, if all goes well this weekend, traffic heading westbound on Interstate 80 will return to four lanes of normal travel by Monday morning."
The Department's traffic plan is as follows:
- Complete closure of Interstate 80 westbound from Exit 42 in Parsippany to Exit 38 in Denville beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, September 7.
- Traffic will follow the diversionary route used in June. Traffic heading westbound in I-80 will get off at Exit 42 in Parsippany, travel west on Route 46, and re-enter the roadway at Exit 38 in Denville.
- There will be intermittent closures of one or two lanes of I-80 eastbound to help facilitate the dismantling of the temporary roadway. These closure will take place between 9 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday.
- New Jersey State Police will be coordinating with local police departments to ensure that the traffic on Route 46 flows as smoothly as possible.
- NJDOT Emergency Service Patrol vehicles will be travelling the detour route for the duration of the closure.
"The crews will be working around the clock to return the roadway back to normal travel conditions," Commissioner Weinstein said, "After this weekend, area residents and commuters lives can return to normal as well."
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