NJDOT announces overnight ramp closures at
I-78/Garden State Parkway Interchange 142

(Trenton) –The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced upcoming overnight closures of two exit ramps at the I-78/Garden State Parkway Interchange 142 in Union and Hillside, Union County. The overnight closures will enable NJDOT to continue its interchange reconstruction project.

Starting Thursday night, February 12, NJDOT will temporarily close the ramp from the Garden State Parkway southbound to I-78 westbound and the ramp from I-78 at the Interchange 142 toll plaza to the Garden State Parkway northbound.

The overnight temporary ramp closures will continue intermittently for the following three weeks as required. During the overnight ramp closures, NJDOT will erect structural steal beams for the new flyover ramp from the Garden State Parkway northbound to I-78 westbound. The new ramp is expected to open to traffic by September 2009.

The Garden State Parkway southbound ramp to I-78 westbound may be closed from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Monday through Thursday nights, on Friday nights from 11:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., and Sunday mornings from 12:01 a.m. to 9 a.m. The ramp from the I-78 Interchange toll plaza to the Garden State Parkway northbound may be closed from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Monday through Thursday nights. The ramp closures will be scheduled for separate nights, but there may be instances when both closures occur simultaneously for short durations.

The following detour routes will be implemented during the ramp closures:

• Traffic on the Garden State Parkway southbound to I-78 westbound will continue on Garden State Parkway southbound to Exit 141 for Vaux Hall Road, turn onto Vaux Hall Road eastbound, take the on-ramp adjacent to the Service Area to the Garden State Parkway northbound to I-78 eastbound to Exit 54 to Winans Avenue and take the ramp onto I-78 westbound. The NJ Turnpike Authority will not assess tolls to motorists forced to use this detour.
  
• Traffic from the I-78 Interchange toll plaza to Garden State Parkway northbound will take the Garden State Parkway southbound to Exit 141 for Vaux Hall Road, turn onto Vaux Hall Road eastbound to the on-ramp adjacent to the Service Area to the Garden State Parkway northbound.
  

The $149 million rehabilitation project will improve traffic flow at the interchange by building the two missing ramp moves from the Garden State Parkway to I-78. New ramps will be constructed from the Garden State Parkway northbound to I-78 westbound and the Garden State Parkway southbound to I-78 eastbound, which will reduce delays and congestion. In addition, NJDOT will reconstruct a one-mile stretch of pavement on I-78, widen the bridges on I-78, add new acceleration and deceleration lanes, and relocate noise-barriers. The reconstruction of the I-78 pavement will ensure a smoother and safer surface for the truck traffic that uses this corridor to access the nearby port facilities. NJDOT, the federal government and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority funded the project. Construction began in late May and is scheduled for completion in January 2012.

Variable Message Signs on the Garden State Parkway and I-78 will inform motorists of the traffic pattern changes. NJDOT encourages motorists to consider alternative transportation options such as carpools, park and rides and public transportation.

Real time traffic information is available at www.511nj.org.