Interstate 78 Express lane closures announced this weekend in Hillside and Newark
(Trenton) - NJDOT officials today announced a series of planned lane closures for the Express lanes on Interstate 78 in Hillside and Newark this weekend as work on the $72 million roadway rehabilitation project continues to advance.
NJDOT's contractor, a joint-venture of Ferreira Construction and Crisdel Group, is scheduled to implement the following traffic pattern changes in the Express lanes on I-78 this weekend:
• Both I-78 Express travel lanes will be closed in each direction (eastbound and westbound between mileposts 57.2 and 53.4) from 10 p.m. Friday, May 31 until around 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 1.
• NJDOT will then reopen the left Express travel lane in each direction around 5 a.m. Saturday morning, while the right Express lanes will remain closed to traffic through around 5 a.m. on Monday, June 3.
Construction began in March 2012 on the major roadway rehabilitation with the highway being reconstructed in stages, requiring numerous traffic pattern changes and the closure of one travel lane in each direction at certain locations. A total of four of the five I-78 travel lanes will remain open in each direction during peak period hours throughout construction. Single and double-lane closures will be allowed during overnight and off-peak hours.
This is one of the busiest stretches of highway in New Jersey, with an average of 145,000 vehicles traveling it daily. The new pavement is designed to last up to 20 years. The project is scheduled to be completed in early 2014.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.
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