Route 21 ramp closure
and detour tonight in Clifton

Traffic pattern shift required
for bridge deck replacement project

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced a full overnight closure of the ramp from Route 21 to Route 3 westbound in Clifton, Passaic County to prepare for construction on the bridge decks.

Beginning at 11:30 p.m. tonight, Friday, June 12, through 7 a.m. Saturday, June 13, NJDOT’s contractor, J. Fletcher Creamer/Sanzari Inc., is scheduled to temporarily close the ramp that connects Route 21 northbound, Route 21 southbound and River Road in Clifton with Route 3 westbound for the installation of construction barriers.

Once the barriers are in place, traffic will be merged from two lanes to a single dedicated lane on the north side of the bridge to allow for construction on the other half of the bridge. Trucks will be required to use the detour throughout construction.

On Friday, June 26, another traffic shift is expected to create a single dedicated lane on the south side of the bridge, allowing for another phase of construction on the bridge to begin.  

Detour Route:

• Vehicles approaching from Route 21 northbound, Route 21 southbound and River Road attempting to go to Route 3 westbound will be directed to Route 3 eastbound, to Route 17 northbound to Route 3 westbound.
• All vehicles will need to follow detour on Friday evening.
• Trucks will need to follow detour for the duration of the construction project.

The Route 21 Ramp F over NJ TRANSIT Main Line is a $1.6 million project estimated to be completed by early 2016. NJDOT has designed the bridge deck replacement work to be performed in stages, closing one lane of the bridge for reconstruction at a time with all traffic shifted onto the other lane of the bridge.  

Variable message signs will be used to notify motorists of all traffic pattern changes. 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.