I-280 westbound bridge over
Martin Luther King Boulevard traffic shift
necessary for bridge replacement in Newark

Starting at 10 p.m. Friday, July 15, until 5 a.m. Monday, July 18, NJDOT’s contractor, George Harms Construction Co., Inc., is scheduled to shift traffic from I-280 westbound to I-280 eastbound for the demolition and replacement of the existing I-280 westbound bridge over Martin Luther King Boulevard in Newark. I-280 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction over the I-280 eastbound bridge, resulting in a wide-load restriction. In addition, the Exit 14 Ramp from I-280 eastbound to Martin Luther King Boulevard will be closed during construction.

Martin Luther King Boulevard from State Street to Orange Street will be closed and detoured to accommodate bridge construction activities. A pedestrian detour also will be in place. The following detour will be in place for motorists:

From Martin Luther King Boulevard and State Street:
• Motorists from MLK Boulevard/State Street will travel along State Street and make a right onto University Avenue
• From University Avenue, motorists will make a right on to Orange Street.
• Continue along Orange Street to MLK Boulevard
• Motorists wishing to access I-280 can continue west along Orange Street to the 1st Street entrance

From Martin Luther King Boulevard and Orange Street:
• Motorists from MLK Boulevard/Orange Street will travel along Orange Street and make a right onto Clifton Avenue
• From Clifton Avenue, motorists will make a right on to 7th Avenue
• Continue along 7th Avenue to MLK Boulevard
• Motorists wishing to access I-280 can continue west along Orange Street to the 1st Street entrance

Traffic will be shifted back onto the newly reconstructed westbound bridge by 5 a.m. Monday, July 18. Later this summer, another weekend closure will be implemented to demolish and replace the eastbound bridge. A temporary detour will be in place for motorists, and pedestrians during this closure, and NJDOT will provided information before this work begins.

The $93 million federally-funded project, which started construction in September 2015, will demolish existing structurally deficient bridge decks, reconfigure the interchange to provide full movements and consolidate entrance points. NJDOT has coordinated with local officials throughout the design process. The I-280 and Route 21 Interchange Improvements Project is being accomplished in stages, and is expected to be completed in early 2019.

Variable message signs are being utilized throughout the project limits to provide advance notification to motorists of all traffic pattern changes associated with the interchange improvements project. Throughout the project, NJDOT will provide information before upcoming road closures.

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 and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info.