Route 46 Bridge over Piaget Avenue replacement project begins in Clifton

Temporary traffic shift necessary for initial work

The existing Route 46 Bridge was built in 1940 and its deck is currently in poor condition. The bridge has two lanes in each direction, divided by a median, and carries an average of 33,300 vehicles each day over Piaget Avenue. It serves as an access road to the Garden State Parkway, which is approximately 1.2 miles west of the bridge.

To minimize the effect to traffic, the project will replace the bridge in stages and use Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques. This allows the construction to be completed in the shortest amount of time and with the least disruption to the traveling public. The bridge structure will be prefabricated and the deck will be cast-in-place concrete and installed over two long weekends, half of the bridge reconstructed each weekend.

Due to the project’s proximity to the Christopher Columbus Middle School, and to minimize the impact on the community, all construction will be done during the summer.

The project will begin with overnight lane closures this week, beginning at 9 p.m. tonight, Monday, May 14 until 5:30 a.m. the next morning, continuing each night through Thursday, May 17, NJDOT’s contractor Anselmi & Decicco, Inc., will close the left travel lane on Route 46 eastbound and westbound for temporary restriping in advance of traffic shifts, removal of existing median barrier and installation of a construction barrier.

At least one travel lane in each direction will be maintained. Overnight lane closures from Monday through Thursday are expected for approximately two weeks.

The $5.1 million federally-funded bridge project will replace the existing bridge deck, remove two non-ADA compliant staircases and replace them with a new ADA compliant sidewalk on Route 46 westbound leading to the Christopher Columbus Middle School. The Route 46 eastbound sidewalk to the Piaget Avenue ramp will be made ADA compliant. Additionally, a new crosswalk across the Piaget Avenue ramp also will be installed. Lastly, the approaches on both sides of the bridge deck will be milled and paved. The project is expected to be completed by the fall 2018.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. NJDOT will notify the public in advance of any closures. Variable Message Signs are being used to provide advance notification to motorists of traffic pattern changes associated with the work.

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 and on the NJDOT Facebook page.