Route 46 Bridge over Musconetcong River to be closed

Reconstruction work expected to
take 10 days in Warren and Morris counties

(Trenton) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a project to replace the Route 46 bridge over the Musconetcong River in Hackettstown, Warren County, and Mt. Olive and Washington, Morris County, which will require the bridge to be closed for 10 days.

To prepare for the full closure, NJDOT’s contractor, Creamer-Sanzari, Inc., is scheduled to close one lane of the bridge overnight from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning on both Thursday, August 7 and Friday, August 8. One travel lane will be maintained with alternating traffic directed by flagmen.

At 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 16, the bridge is scheduled to be closed to all traffic in both directions for approximately 10 days. Local traffic will have access to the businesses on either side of the bridge. The bridge is expected to reopen on or about Tuesday, August 26.

Signed detours will be posted for cars and trucks. A truck detour will be implemented around the project limits and will utilize only state and county roads.

Car Detour

• Motorists traveling on Route 46 eastbound will be directed to Route 182 (Mountain Avenue) southbound to East Avenue eastbound to Route 46 

• Motorists traveling on Route 46 westbound will be directed to East Avenue westbound to Route 182 (Mountain Avenue) northbound

Truck Detour

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 80 eastbound attempting to reach businesses on the east side of the bridge construction zone are to continue on Route 80 to Exit 27 for Route 46 in Netcong and proceed westbound on Route 46 

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 80 westbound attempting to reach businesses on the west side of the bridge construction zone are  to continue on Route 80 westbound to Exit 19 (CR 517/ Hackettstown/Allamuchy) and continue south on CR 517 into Hackettstown to Route 46 westbound

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 46 eastbound attempting to reach businesses on the east side of the bridge construction zone should take CR 517 (Mountain Ave.) north to Route 80 east to Exit 27 for Route 46 in Netcong and proceed westbound on Route 46

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 46 westbound attempting to reach businesses on the west side of the bridge construction zone are to take Route 183 south to Route 80 west to Exit 19/CR 517 south into Hackettstown

Upon reopening the bridge, the normal complement of one travel lane in each direction will be available. However, construction barriers on both sides will reduce the lane width to provide a safe construction area as work continues on the parapets, sidewalk, curbs, and drainage. Overnight lane closures requiring a single lane of alternating traffic with flagmen may be necessary until the completion of the project.

The $3.4 million federally-funded project will provide for partial replacement of the bridge with a new superstructure composed of pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete beams with an integral concrete deck.  The use of prefabricated components will minimize impacts and avoid a prolonged construction period.  

When complete, the new superstructure will have 15-foot wide travel lanes in each direction and a sidewalk will be provided along the southern side of the bridge with an aluminum railing, similar to the existing condition.  The existing bridge abutments and pier will be repaired in place and Route 46 will be repaved at the bridge approaches.  NJDOT anticipates the projectbeing completed by the end of 2014.

Route 46 is a rural/urban arterial route that runs parallel to I-80 from Pennsylvania to Northern New Jersey with an average daily traffic of 13,000 vehicles in this more rural area. This particular location is a vital link between Warren and Morris counties.

NJDOT coordinated the construction staging and traffic impacts with officials from Mt. Olive, Washington, and Hackettstown. A public information center was held in Hackettstown in November 2013 to provide residents and business owners the opportunity to review project plans and talk to key project personnel prior to construction. 

Variable message signs will notify motorists of 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 real-time travel information.