NJDOT to begin westbound Route 78 local lane roadway reconstruction on Saturday, March 24
(Trenton) -Commissioner Kris Kolluri today announced that the reconstruction of the westbound side of the I-78 local lanes will begin Saturday, March 24, 2007. The reconstruction of the eastbound local lanes began on March 9.
A total of four of the five I-78 travel lanes will remain open in each direction during peak hours throughout construction. From March through mid-summer, NJDOT will reconstruct the two leftmost local lanes and the left shoulder. During this phase of construction, traffic will be shifted to the right shoulder and the right lane in order to facilitate the reconstruction of the two left lanes. The express outside right shoulder lane will be closed. Temporary concrete construction barriers will separate the work area and the local travel lanes.
Access to and from interchanges will not be affected. However, the eastbound express-to-local crossover at Springfield Avenue (Route 124) will be closed. The westbound express-to-local crossover in the Springfield Avenue (Rt. 124) area will be temporarily moved further west. Eastbound traffic’s access to the Garden State Parkway will be via the local lanes only. Eastbound trucks will be encouraged to use the express lanes. NJDOT will provide additional capacity from Route 24 to Route 78 Express by striping a second lane.
From mid-summer 2007 through November 2007, NJDOT will reconstruct the right shoulder and right lane in the local lanes. During this stage of construction, NJDOT will reconstruct the sound walls and widen the decks of the Stuyvesant Avenue and Walker Avenue Westbound bridges.
All crossovers will be available for use from mid-summer through November. Construction work at the I-78 Entrance ramps to the local lanes at the Springfield Avenue and Vauxhall Road/Burnet Avenue interchanges will require one-week closures with detours.
From October to November 2007, NJDOT will complete paving and striping as well as the reconstruction of the Vauxhall Road interchange. Local lanes closures will continue in the vicinity of the Vauxhall Road/Burnet Avenue interchange.
NJDOT is making a significant effort to minimize the traffic impacts associated with the upcoming construction through public outreach and safety initiatives. NJDOT has notified local mayors and legislators of the upcoming construction and traffic pattern changes. In addition, NJDOT has placed portable Variable Message Signs (VMS) on Route 78 as well as the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway to provide real-time work zone traffic information to motorists, which also can be found on NJDOT’s website. NJDOT will provide information to motorists on park and ride availability and mass transit options.
In order to improve safety and ensure that disabled vehicles are quickly cleared, NJDOT will provide a towing service, emergency response crews, and a large State Police presence at the construction site. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website, www.njcommuter.com for project and traffic updates.
