NJDOT postpones westbound Route 78 local lane roadway reconstruction
Delay will facilitate express lane pavement repairs
(Trenton) –Commissioner Kris Kolluri today announced that the reconstruction of the westbound side of the I-78 local lanes will be postponed until March 22, 2007. The reconstruction of the eastbound local lanes will begin as planned on March 9.
The construction delay will enable the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to repair pavement in the I-78 westbound express lanes from milepost 52.9 to milepost 58.4 in Hillside, Newark and Union. The westbound express lane repairs will begin Friday, March 9 and be completed by March 22. The pavement repairs are not within the limits of the I-78 reconstruction project.
In order to facilitate the pavement repairs, the westbound express lanes will be closed during off-peak and evening hours from the Route 78/New Jersey Turnpike interchange to milepost 52.9. Motorists will be permitted to cross over from the local lanes to the express lanes at milepost 52.9. The westbound express lanes will be closed from Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and on Monday to Thursday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. On Friday nights, the westbound express lanes will close from 9 p.m. until 8 a.m. Saturday. On Saturday, the westbound express lanes will close from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. Sunday. On Sunday, they will close from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Monday.
NJDOT’s local lane construction work is part of the $42 million reconstruction of I-78 in Union County. NJDOT will reconstruct approximately two miles of I-78 in Union Township, Union County, from Springfield Avenue to Walker Avenue. NJDOT will break up the existing concrete and construct hot-mix asphalt pavement on top of this base. The existing pavement will be removed and reconstructed in order to maintain vertical clearance beneath the Vauxhall Road, Burnet Avenue and Halsey Street bridges. Bridge decks, joints and railings will also be repaired.
Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.njcommuter.com for project and traffic updates.
