Highway Work Spurs Day-Long Lane Closures Across Morris County

Road crews are resurfacing and repairing nearly every major corridor in the Morristown area today, Friday, June 20, causing shoulder and lane closures that will ripple through the morning and afternoon commute and extend overnight into Saturday.

At a glance

• I-80 — One-lane eastbound closure at Exit 34 (Route 15, Wharton) begins with a complete shutdown at 9 p.m. tonight for final paving. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 9 a.m. Saturday. Earlier this morning, eastbound traffic was already delayed near Exit 30 (Howard Boulevard, Mount Arlington).

• I-287 — Southbound right-shoulder closure between Exit 42 (U.S. 46) and just south of Exit 41 (I-80, Parsippany-Troy Hills) continues until 3 p.m.

• U.S. 46 — Crews are working in both directions through Denville, Mountain Lakes and Parsippany-Troy Hills, closing the right shoulder or right lane in staggered segments until 3 p.m. Work also narrows westbound lanes just west of the I-287 interchange in Parsippany.

• Route 15 — Northbound paving from Jefferson Township to Sparta closes the right lane until 2 p.m.; a separate northbound project near Berkshire Valley Road keeps the left lane closed in Jefferson Township until 2 p.m.

• Route 53 — Daytime construction northbound from Luger Road to I-80 in Denville leaves all lanes open but may slow traffic until 3 p.m. A separate overnight job closes one of two lanes between Park Road (Parsippany-Troy Hills) and I-80 nightly, 10 p.m.–6 a.m., until the morning of Saturday, June 21.

• Route 10 — The westbound right shoulder is shut between Eyland Avenue/Mekeel Drive and Main Street/Commerce Boulevard in Roxbury Township until 3 p.m.

• Route 23 — A southbound shoulder closure near Maple Lake Road in Kinnelon lasts until 3 p.m.

Why so much work at once?

The New Jersey Department of Transportation schedules resurfacing, bridge deck repairs and drainage improvements during the June school-vacation window, when weekday traffic volumes typically dip. Concentrating short-term projects before the July 4 holiday also lets contractors wrap up paving ahead of heavier summer travel. Additionally, I-80 faced a number of repairs the past few months due to the discovery of sinkholes.

What drivers can do

• Build extra time. Even where only shoulders are shut, squeeze-merges slow traffic.

• Stay in the middle lanes. Trucks and construction vehicles enter and exit from the right.

• Follow overnight detours. When I-80 eastbound closes tonight, traffic will be routed to exit 34B, loop across Route 15 and re-enter at the on-ramp east of the work zone.

• Check NJ 511. Real-time updates and camera feeds can be found at 511nj.org or by dialing 511.

Looking ahead

If crews finish final striping sooner than expected, the I-80 lane restriction could be lifted before 9am tomorrow. The DOT says any additional weather delays will be announced on its social-media channels.

Motorists who cannot avoid the affected highways may want to stagger departure times or use local routes such as Route 202 or county roads 513 and 510 to bypass the heaviest construction zones.