NJDOT announces closure of Route 27
bridge over Conrail in Metuchen

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that the Route 27 bridge over Conrail in Metuchen Borough will be closed to traffic starting Monday, April 26. The closure is necessary as a safety precaution while work progresses on the replacement of the existing structurally deficient bridge.

NJDOT will employ variable message signs on Route 27 and Route 1 in both directions to alert motorists of the bridge closure and detours. The following detours will be in place:

Truck traffic

• Route 27 northbound trucks will take I-287 southbound to Route 1 northbound to Route 35 northbound to Route 27.

• Route 27 southbound trucks will take Route 35 southbound to Route 1 southbound to I-287 northbound to Route 27.

All other vehicles

• Route 27 northbound vehicles will take Amboy Avenue to Route 1 northbound to Parsonage Road to Route 27.

• Route 27 southbound vehicles will take Parsonage Road to Route 1 southbound to Amboy Avenue to Route 27.

The bridge is being closed due to deterioration in a section of a bridge abutment that has yet to be replaced. NJDOT had planned to rebuild the bridge in a manner that would minimize the impact to motorists by keeping Route 27 open to traffic during construction, but daily monitoring of the structure has led to the change of plans.

The project began in August 2008 and is being constructed in three stages. The eastern third of the bridge was rebuilt last fall. The second stage of construction, on the western side of the bridge, is currently underway. The center portion of the bridge will be rebuilt during the last stage of construction.

Fully closing the bridge to traffic will allow the contractor to accelerate the reconstruction. NJDOT anticipates opening the new bridge in October, about nine months earlier than the original scheduled completion. Once completed, the new $9 million Route 27 bridge will accommodate single 12-foot lanes, 10-foot shoulders and 10-foot sidewalks in each direction.

Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org real-time travel information.