NJDOT to begin Palisades Parkway repaving project

Construction to start with overnight northbound lane closures

(Trenton) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a project to repave the 11-mile portion of the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Bergen County, New Jersey.

On Monday night, July 21, NJDOT’s contractor, Tilcon New York Inc., is scheduled to begin milling and paving in the northbound lanes.

The $11.2 million, state-funded project will resurface the parkway and the three scenic overlooks, and repair 13 bridge decks as needed. Although the Palisades Parkway is not a NJDOT road—it is owned and maintained by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission—it has fallen into disrepair, prompting NJDOT to advance this project.

“The Palisades Parkway is a vital link for North Jersey residents and for commuters from New York State to the George Washington Bridge,” said NJDOT Acting Commissioner Joseph Bertoni. “It has been nearly 20 years since it was last repaved and the road is riddled with potholes and temporary patches. The severity of this past winter left the parkway in an unacceptable condition, which is why NJDOT took on this project with such an aggressive schedule.”

The contractor will be allowed to close one travel lane for construction purposes, during off-peak travel hours, in accordance with the following schedule:

Palisades Interstate Parkway, Northbound

• Monday through Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the next day
• Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; and, 8:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Saturday
• Saturday: 8:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. (Monday)
  

Palisades Interstate Parkway, Southbound

• Monday through Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. the next day
  Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Sunday
  Sunday: 8:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday
  

The contractor also will be allowed to close ramps overnight. To begin, construction will only take place on weekdays, with weekend construction starting on or after August 8.

The construction is expected to begin at the George Washington Bridge in the northbound lanes and advance toward the New York State line. When the northbound lanes are complete, work will switch to the southbound lanes.

There is a possibility the project will require full overnight or weekend closures, during which Route 9W will be used as a detour route. NJDOT will provide notice before any significant traffic impacts, as well as information about any necessary detours. The project is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Motorists are advised to be alert for lane closures and traffic shifts, and are urged to drive safely and slowly through the construction zone.

The Parkway was completed in 1958 and runs 42 miles from the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey to the Bear Mountain Bridge in New York. The 11 miles in New Jersey carry two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, with three-foot shoulders. It was last repaved in the mid-1990s.

Variable message signs will notify motorists of the traffic pattern changes.  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.