NJDOT to open new Sixth Street bridge and close Roseville Avenue bridge over NJ TRANSIT in Newark

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that the Sixth Street bridge will be reopened to traffic and the Roseville Avenue bridge will be closed to traffic as construction progresses on a project in Newark to replace the Third Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Seventh Street and Roseville Avenue bridge decks over NJ TRANSIT’s Morris & Essex Line.

The newly reconstructed Sixth Street bridge will be reopened to traffic on Monday, August 23. NJDOT has completed the full replacement of the bridge superstructure and deck.

On Wednesday, August 25, NJDOT will close Roseville Avenue to all traffic between Orange Street and 7th Avenue as work begins to replace the bridge. Construction will affect overnight train and bus service at Roseville Avenue. NJ TRANSIT bus Route 96 will be detoured around the area.

The following detours will be in effect during the Roseville Avenue closure:

• Northbound traffic will take Orange Street westbound to Bathgate Place northbound to 7th Avenue to Roseville Avenue.

• Southbound traffic will take 7th Avenue eastbound to Sixth Street southbound to Orange Street to Roseville Avenue.

NJDOT began construction in October 2007 and has since completed the replacement of the Third and Fifth Street bridges. NJDOT is replacing each bridge individually. The Seventh Street bridge, which is closed for reconstruction at this time, is anticipated to be reopened to traffic in early-September.

The $13.5 million project includes drainage improvements; resurfacing; and sidewalk and curb installation on the approaches to the Third Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Seventh Street and Roseville Avenue bridges.

In addition, NJDOT will improve traffic signals at the bridge approaches and at the intersections of Roseville Avenue and Orange Street, Roseville Avenue and Seventh Avenue and Orange Street and Sixth Avenue.

The project is scheduled to be completed in fall 2011.

Construction information and real-time traffic updates are available at www.511nj.org