New traffic patterns announced in association with Route 23 realignment project in Sussex
Local roadway restrictions and traffic shifts in store as
major construction gears up
(Trenton) - NJDOT officials today announced a series of upcoming traffic pattern changes on Route 23 and the surrounding local roadway system in Sussex Borough and Wantage Township. The new traffic patterns are necessary to advance the recently begun realignment project to provide a more direct and efficient routing of Route 23 (Hamburg Avenue) in these two communities.
On Friday, June 21, NJDOT’s construction contractor, Ferreira Construction Co., will shift the existing Route 23 travel lanes in each direction over to the western curbline along the divided section of highway from just north of Belcher Lane (mp 39.12) to the vicinity of Grove Street (mp 39.68) to set up a new construction zone. A similar shift is already in place on Route 23 between Loomis Avenue (mp 40) and Newton Avenue (40.12).
In addition, the following changes to the local roadway system will be implemented this weekend;
• Walling Avenue will be permanently restricted to southbound traffic only.
• Brookside Avenue between Walling Avenue and Route 23 will be temporarily restricted to serving westbound motorists.
• Wiebel Plaza between Walling Avenue and Route 23 will be temporarily restricted to serving eastbound motorists.
The $19.4 million federally-funded project will retrofit and tie in an existing local roadway - Walling Avenue, which runs parallel to Route 23 - to create a divided section of highway, with one-way directional traffic on each section of the road for a length of almost one mile. When completed, existing Route 23 will serve as the northbound roadway with existing Walling Avenue being converted into Route 23 southbound. Route 23 in each direction will feature one 12 foot wide traffic lane. Route 23 northbound will have an 8-foot left and a 10-foot right shoulder while Route 23 southbound will have a 5-foot left and a 10-foot right shoulder.
Complete Streets elements will be included throughout the new design and the contractor will install new dedicated turning lanes and make traffic signal improvements at the Route 23 intersections with Loomis Avenue, Route 284 (East Main Street) and Lower Unionville Road. NJDOT anticipates that the project will be completed in early-summer 2015.
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 real-time travel information.
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