Route 3 eastbound to be shifted to interim alignment
in Clifton, Rutherford and Lyndhurst
Passaic River Crossing project entering next stage of construction
(Trenton) - NJDOT officials today announced that all Route 3 eastbound travel lanes are scheduled to be relocated to an interim roadway alignment this weekend in Clifton, Rutherford and Lyndhurst as the $150 million, federally-funded Route 3 Passaic River bridge replacement project enters the next stage of construction.
On Friday night, June 22, NJDOT’s contractor, Creamer-Sanzari JV, is scheduled to implement the large-scale traffic shift of all three Route 3 eastbound travel lanes, from just east of Main Street in Clifton to the vicinity of Route 17 in Rutherford, to the interim roadway alignment located to the south of the current alignment. In order to implement the new traffic pattern, the on/off ramps at the Route 3 interchange with Route 21 will be closed overnight as needed in Clifton.
The new traffic pattern is expected to be in place by around 8 a.m. Saturday June 23. In the event of rain tonight, the shift will be rescheduled for Saturday night.
A large-scale shift of the Route 3 westbound travel lanes is planned for next month, at which time reconstruction of the existing Route 3 travel lanes will begin. This stage of construction is expected to last approximately 18 months.
NJDOT is replacing the structurally deficient moveable bridge with a new fixed span over the Passaic River, connecting Clifton City in Passaic County with Rutherford and Lyndhurst in Bergen County. The new bridge will provide a 30-foot vertical clearance over the Passaic River channel and will carry three 12-foot lanes of traffic in each direction with a median barrier. The new bridge will also feature two 12-foot auxiliary lanes in each direction. In addition, NJDOT is repairing and upgrading five other individual bridge structures within the project limits.
To relieve congestion and improve safety through the corridor, Route 3 is being rebuilt and realigned in both directions to include a total of 15 new acceleration and deceleration lanes at the bridge approaches and the roadway shoulders will be upgraded within the project limits. NJDOT has staged the project in a manner that will enable motorists to cross the Passaic River throughout construction.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information.
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