NJDOT to resurface I-195 in
Upper Freehold and Robbinsville

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Jim Simpson today announced the start of a pavement improvement project that will resurface Interstate 195 eastbound and westbound in Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County and Robbinsville Township, Mercer County.

“This project will create a smoother and safer road for motorists,” Commissioner Simpson said. “It exemplifies our commitment to safety and the priority we place on keeping our roads in a state of good repair.”

The project will begin Friday, April 30. NJDOT will initially address the Robbinsville-Allentown Road (CR 526) interchange (Exit 7) in order to increase the vertical clearance on I-195 eastbound under the interchange overpass. This work will require single lane closures eastbound over the weekend from 8 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday, May 3. NJDOT will close and detour the I-195 eastbound interchange 7 exit/entrance ramps over the weekend as follows:

• Robbinsville-Allentown Road southbound to I-195 eastbound traffic will take the ramp to I-195 westbound to Exit 5A for Route 130 southbound to make a U-turn to I-195 eastbound.

• I-195 eastbound to Robbinsville-Allentown Road traffic will continue on I-195 eastbound to Interchange 8 and take Old York Road (CR 539) to make a U-turn to I-195 westbound to interchange 7 for Robbinsville-Allentown Road.

Once the initial work at Interchange 7 is completed over the weekend, the resurfacing of mainline I-195 eastbound and westbound will begin. The project is expected to be complete in late fall 2010.

The $9.2 million, federally-funded project will resurface I-195 eastbound from east of the Exit 6/NJ Turnpike interchange (milepost 6.87) to just east of Imlaystown Road (milepost 12.09), and I-195 westbound from just east of Imlaystown Road (milepost 12.09) to milepost 9.26. NJDOT will apply a new rubberized surface course of asphalt that will provide a quieter, smoother riding surface with an increased level of friction and safety for motorists. This concentrated effort to repair the deficient roadway will extend the lifespan of this stretch of highway by fifteen to twenty years. In addition, NJDOT will resurface eleven access ramps to and from I-195 and all existing guide rail will be upgraded.

Construction will be performed mainly at night, with some daytime shoulder closures, in order to mitigate traffic impacts on Route 195 which is the most heavily traveled east-to-west highway in central New Jersey. No weekend lane closures are planned during the summer season.

NJDOT will install Variable Message Signs (VMS) to inform motorists of any change in traffic patterns during nighttime operations. Real-time travel and construction information is available online at www.511nj.org.