This Week's Road Closures, Construction, & the Start of NJDOTs Pothole Repair Campaign

I-80 eastbound right lane closure Monday in Allamuchy, Warren County (Shoulder to remain closed for drainage work)

The right lane on I-80 eastbound is scheduled to be closed at milepost 18 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, March 6, to place a construction barrier in Allamuchy, Warren County. At least two lanes will be maintained during construction.

By 3 p.m. Monday, March 6, the right shoulder on I-80 eastbound will be closed.

The shoulder closure is expected to remain in place for approximately four months for drainage work and culvert cleaning.

The work is part of a $15.8 million state-funded project to repair stormwater facilities at various locations throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties.

Route 22 eastbound right lane closure Sunday as Route 22 Bridge over Echo Lake project advances in Mountainside (Lane closure necessary for utility work)

The right lane on Route 22 eastbound from New Providence Road/CR 645 to Locust Avenue is scheduled to be closed from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday, March 5, as the Route 22 Bridge over Echo Lake Project advances in Mountainside, Union County.

This is the second of three weekends requiring lane closures for utility work. At least one lane of traffic will be maintained during construction. Motorists are advised to slow down, use caution, and expected delays or plan an alternate route. NJDOT will provide notice prior to any future closures.

The work is part of a $9 million federally-funded project to replace the culvert under the Route 22 Bridge over Echo Lake in Mountainside, Union County. The project will be done in stages in order to maintain all travel lanes throughout the project, which is expected to be completed in the fall of 2024.

Route 22 eastbound right lane closure required Monday in Mountainside, Union County (Shoulder to remain closed for drainage work)

The right lane on Route 22 eastbound is scheduled to be closed at milepost 49.9 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, March 6, to place a construction barrier in Mountainside, Union County. At least one lane will be maintained during construction.

By 3 p.m. Monday, March 6, the right shoulder on Route 22 eastbound will be closed. The shoulder closure is expected to remain in place for approximately two weeks to repair an inlet.

The work is part of a $15.8 million state-funded project to repair stormwater facilities at various locations throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties.

Route 33 shoulder closures start Monday as a pavement project begins in Monmouth County (Closures necessary for concrete curb and inlet work)

Shoulder closures on Route 33 in Tinton Falls, Wall, and Howell will begin next week as a pavement project begins in Monmouth County.

From 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday, March 6, and continuing daily Monday through Friday for approximately two months, sections of the shoulder on Route 33 westbound between Wardell Road in Tinton Falls and just before Fairfield Road in Howell are scheduled to be closed for concrete curb and inlet work.

When the westbound side is complete, work will move to the eastbound side. Daytime lane closures may be necessary during construction. Paving is expected to begin this summer and will be done overnight.

The work is part of an $8.2 million state-funded project for maintenance and paving work on Route 33 in Monmouth County and in various locations in Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties.

Pulaski Skyway to have temporary closures Sunday for pier work as rehabilitation project advances in Jersey City (Series of 10-minute traffic stoppages required in both directions)

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a series of temporary closures on the Pulaski Skyway in both directions early Sunday morning as the rehabilitation of the historic 91-year-old bridge advances in Jersey City.

From 1 a.m. until 5 a.m. Sunday, March 5, NJDOT’s contractor, Skanska Koch, is scheduled to temporarily stop traffic in both directions on the Pulaski Skyway between the Broadway Avenue ramp and the truss bridge over the railroad tracks in Jersey City. Traffic will be stopped eight times for approximately 10 minutes each time to allow the contractor to jack the Skyway at Pier 52 to begin bearing replacement and pier rehabilitation.

The work is part of Contract 8B of the Pulaski Skyway rehabilitation project, which is being advanced through multiple construction contracts. The Department is carefully coordinating the Pulaski Skyway project with other regional transportation infrastructure projects to minimize traffic congestion.

The Department has a project hotline telephone number, 973-776-7400, and email, Pulaski.Skyway@dot.nj.gov. Anyone who has questions, concerns, or suggestions is encouraged to contact the Project Outreach Team as work progresses.

I-295 northbound lane closures rescheduled in Bellmawr, Camden County (Browning Road Bridge abutment demolition to continue March 13)

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the lane closures on I-295 northbound that were scheduled to continue next week are being rescheduled as the Direct Connect project advances in Bellmawr, Camden County.

The demolition of the east abutment of the Browning Road Bridge began on Tuesday, February 28, and was scheduled to continue Monday through Friday nights through March 10. The work is now expected to continue overnight from Monday, March 13 through Friday, March 17. NJDOT will provide advance notice of future lane closures.

The work is part of the Direct Connect project that will provide a seamless route for I-295 motorists traveling through the interchange of I-295, I-76, and Route 42. To sign up for I-295 Direct Connect project updates go to 295DirectConnect.com or text CONNECT to 1-844-844-3681.

Portable variable message signs are being utilized to provide advance notification to the public of all traffic pattern changes associated with the work.

Finally, the NJ DOTs annual statewide pothole repair campaign begins this week! (Sunday, March 5, 2023)

The annual statewide campaign to repair potholes across New Jersey will begin on Monday, March 6. While New Jersey saw below-average snowfall this winter, temperatures continually fluctuated between above and below freezing. Potholes are created by water seeping into cracks in the asphalt and then expanding when it freezes, so this type of weather pattern still takes a toll on state highways.

“The New Jersey Department of Transportation is beginning our annual pothole campaign on Monday, March 6 and will continue for the next couple of months until we have repaired the most significant potholes from this winter,” Commissioner Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “NJDOT crews work year-round to repair potholes and keep our highways in good condition, but at this time of year it becomes a primary focus.”

To deal with potholes in the most aggressive and efficient manner, the Department will be allowing crews throughout the state to close travel lanes where necessary during daytime hours. Where possible, crews will limit their daytime work hours to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will try to avoid working in travel lanes carrying traffic during peak times.

NJDOT will be using Variable Message Signs to alert motorists of the campaign and, to the extent possible, of lane closures that could result in temporary travel delays. Detailed current repair locations will be posted on a continual basis on www.511nj.org.

As the weather warms up and asphalt plants reopen, NJDOT crews will start to perform permanent patch operations on particularly problematic sections of the roadway. This is more extensive work that includes milling and paving a small area of the road, and generally will be done overnight.

In the past five fiscal years (FY18 – FY22), NJDOT has repaired an average of approximately 190,000 potholes per year. So far in FY23 (July 1, 2022 – February 28, 2023), NJDOT has repaired about 80,000 potholes, with the busiest pothole repair season just starting.

It is important to slow down in work zones so NJDOT crews can safely make repairs. New Jersey’s Move Over law requires motorists to move over if it is safe to do so when they approach an emergency or service vehicle stopped on the side of the road.

If you cannot safely MOVE OVER, PLEASE SLOW DOWN.

In addition to NJDOT crews monitoring and reporting potholes that need repairs on state highways, motorists are encouraged to report potholes as well. Motorists may call 1-800-POTHOLE or go online to report potholes on state roads using a new mapping feature to help identify the exact location of the pothole. To report potholes on county roads, contact the appropriate jurisdiction.

The Department responds as quickly as possible, especially to reports of potholes that create safety concerns based on their size and location.

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.

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