NJDOT announces Route 7/Wittpenn Bridge closures

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced upcoming weekend closures of the Route 7/Wittpenn Bridge over the Hackensack River in Jersey City and Kearny, Hudson County. The bridge will be closed over two weekend periods for ongoing repairs.

On Friday, February 19, NJDOT will close the Route 7/Wittpenn Bridge at 10 p.m. and keep it closed until 5:30 a.m., Monday morning, February 22. NJDOT will then enact a similar closure the following weekend, from 10 p.m. Friday, February 26 until 5:30 a.m., Monday morning, March 1.

All work is weather permitting. In the event of inclement weather, the weekend closures will be postponed one week.

The following detours will be in effect over each weekend period;

• Route 7 eastbound traffic will take Fish House Road to Pennsylvania Avenue Central Avenue to Route 1&9T northbound and return to Route 7.

• Route 7 westbound traffic will take to Route 1&9T southbound to Central Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue to Fish House Road and return to Route 7.

The on-going $10 million interim repair project will provide structural and mechanical repairs and safety and operational improvements to the Route 7 Wittpenn vertical lift bridge. The bridge will remain open to traffic weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. throughout construction, but traffic shifts and lane closures may occur overnight and on weekends. The project is scheduled for completion this March, 2010.

Real time travel and construction information is available online at www.511nj.org. or by calling 511.