Work to repair dozens of bridges along Route 55
in Cumberland and Gloucester counties to begin

Fifty-five bridges will receive
preventative maintenance over a two-year span

(Trenton) – NJDOT officials today announced the start of a bridge maintenance project that will make repairs to 55 bridges along stretches of Route 55 in Cumberland and Gloucester counties.

“This project illustrates the Department’s commitment to invest in existing assets to keep them in a state of good repair,” said Acting Commissioner Joseph Bertoni. “Preventive maintenance work promotes motorist safety and benefits taxpayers by extending the useful life of infrastructure before more costly repair or replacement projects are needed.”

To help extend the service life of these bridges, NJDOT will be performing different levels of bridge maintenance work at each location including deck patching, curb repair, expansion joint reconstruction, header reconstruction, sidewalk repair, deck crack repairs, cleaning of drainage systems, power washing, and application of  a corrosion inhibitor.

Work also will be performed below each structure, including repairs to abutment walls and piers, epoxy waterproofing, and lubrication of bearings. 

NJDOT’s contractor, Power Concrete Company, is scheduled to begin work Monday, June 23, starting on structures in Maurice Township, with operations progressing northward. Some of the structures carry Route 55 over local roads, while some carry local roads over Route 55.

• To minimize inconvenience for motorists traveling on Route 55 to and from Jersey Shore destinations, no work will be performed Friday through Sunday through Labor Day.
  
• Work on Monday through Thursday will be restricted to off-peak hours, mid-morning to mid-afternoon, or overnight hours.

Temporary single-lane closures will be allowed during overnight and off-peak hours at each location and shoulder closures will be allowed at any time. All lanes will be maintained on Route 55 during peak period commuting hours and on weekends.  Work will not take place on more than two bridges concurrently.  

Flagging and alternating traffic will be necessary on occasion on local roads that provide only one travel lane in each direction.  
The $3.8 million federally funded project is scheduled to be completed by summer 2015.

The Department recently completed similar bridge preventive maintenance projects along Interstate 95 and Interstate 295 in Mercer County, Route 18 in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, Interstate 195 in Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties, and Routes 33, 35, and 71 in Monmouth County.

All work is weather dependent. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information.