Route 208 traffic shifts announced over
Lafayette Avenue in Hawthorne
Bridge reconstruction work to enter next stage

NJDOT’s contractor, Ritacco Construction Inc., is scheduled to begin setting up the new construction zones on the inside portion (existing left travel-lanes) of the Route 208 bridge in each direction on Friday night, July 13. Overnight lane closures will be utilized on Route 208 over the weekend for the installation of the construction barrier and traffic striping necessary to establish the new work zone, which will be in place by around 6 a.m. on Sunday, July 15.

Once the new construction zones are in place, two lanes will be maintained in either direction of Route 208 at all times, utilizing the outside deceleration/acceleration lanes as travel-lanes. The contractor has completed reconstruction on the outside and center portions of each bridge.

NJDOT has scheduled the construction in stages so that Route 208 will remain open to traffic in both directions at all times during construction. Dynamic Message Signs will provide motorists with advance notification of the traffic pattern changes.

During this stage of construction Lafayette Avenue will be closed to all traffic underneath Route 208.
• Lafayette Avenue southbound traffic will use Braen Avenue to Goffle Road to Lafayette Avenue.
• Lafayette Avenue northbound traffic will use Goffle Road to Braen Avenue to Lafayette Avenue.

This stage of construction is expected to last to October 2012. Once the bridge reconstruction is complete, the contractor will then begin sidewalk and parapet repair work and then resurface Route 208 on either side of the bridge.

The $3.1 million project is scheduled for completion in late-fall 2012.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. NJDOT provides emergency roadway information, construction schedule updates and real time traffic information and images at www.511nj.org