Latest news with #NJDOT
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Route 35 bridge in Perth Amboy will be closed this weekend
PERTH AMBOY – The Route 35 Bridge over the Route 440 Perth Amboy Connector/CR 624 will be closed and detoured this weekend for the second of two concrete deck pours on the northbound side of the bridge in the city. The first concrete deck pour was completed on Sunday, April 13. More: Perth Amboy landlord fights to keep her property over city land seizure Beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 27, until 6 a.m. Monday, April 28, the Route 35 Bridge over the Route 440 Perth Amboy Connector/CR 624 is scheduled to be closed and detoured in both directions between Fayette Street and New Brunswick Avenue. The bridge is just north of the Route 35 Victory Bridge over the Raritan River and goes over the Route 440 Perth Amboy Connector/CR 624. This is the second of two closures necessary to pour the new concrete deck on the northbound side of the bridge. The following detours will be in place on Sunday, April 13: Motorists traveling on Route 35 southbound will be directed to turn right onto New Brunswick Avenue/CR 616 Turn left onto South Florida Grove Road Turn left onto Perth Amboy Connector/CR 624 Turn right onto Hebert Street Turn right onto Fayette Street Turn left onto Route 35 southbound Motorists traveling on Route 35 northbound will be directed to turn right onto Fayette Street Turn left onto CR 624/Perth Amboy Connector Stay in the right lane to turn right onto South Florida Grove Road Turn right onto New Brunswick Avenue/CR 616 Turn left onto Route 35 northbound The $16.9 million federally funded project will replace the bridge, which is in poor condition. Construction will take place in stages with the southbound side of the bridge reconstructed first. The project will also replace guiderail and fencing. The entire project is expected to be completed in fall 2025. 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 at for construction updates and real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow them on X (Twitter) @NewJerseyDOT, on the NJDOT Facebook page at or Instagram at Brad Wadlow is a staff writer for This article originally appeared on NJ traffic: Route 35 bridge in Perth Amboy will be closed this weekend
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
N.J. I-80 sinkhole saga has end date, fully reopened by June 25
There's an end in sight to New Jersey's I-80 sinkhole saga, officials have announced, as aid comes to affected small businesses in the area. Interstate 80 has been closed, in one or both directions, just north of Wharton, in Morris County, since February, and faced repeated repair delays as more sinkholes opened up. As repairs progressed, others followed, closing down more and more lanes. At one point, there was no timeline at all for reopening. But last week, officials dropped dates for reopening the entire highway by the end of June. May 4 should see the two westbound lanes reopened, followed by the two eastbound ones on May 18 and 'full restoration of all lanes in both directions' by June 25, state Assemblywoman Aura Dunn said in a statement. 'NJDOT is bringing in expert teams and employing infrastructure-sensitive methods to ensure the repairs are not only effective, but designed to support long-term stability and safety for the roadway,' Dunn said. 'I know how frustrating this situation has been for residents and commuters, and I want to thank you for your continued patience.' The precursor to the current headache, which has snarled commuter traffic and clogged work-around roads, came in December, when a sinkhole opened up in the roadway the week before New Year's. Another opened in February at almost the same spot. Small businesses affected by the closures can apply for low-interest loans of up to $2 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration. In addition, Gov. Phil Murphy is working to establish a $5 million grant program, the Route 80 Business Assistance Grant Program, for affected businesses and nonprofit organizations, a measure the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) board is slated to vote on this week. 'It's been a grueling several weeks for Morris County business owners located off the Route 80 corridor. From Wharton to Roxbury, small businesses have had fewer customers, resulting in a decline in sales and revenue. I'm happy to announce today that help is on the way,' Murphy said in a statement. 'The NJEDA's planned grant program, paired with the U.S. Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loans, will inject much-needed capital into small businesses. We are committed to doing this as swiftly as possible to ease the burden on local businesses.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Drone Footage Captures Sinkhole Along New Jersey Highway
A new sinkhole along Interstate 80 in Wharton, New Jersey, forced officials to close all westbound lanes until further notice, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). The road closure was resulting in significant traffic delays, according to local reports. The 15-by-15-foot sinkhole was reported shortly after 5 pm on March 19, prompting warnings to drivers about the hazard along the freeway. This is the third sinkhole reported on the roadway in recent months. The first was reported in December when a ''significant void'': from old iron mines caused a collapse along the eastbound lanes. A second sinkhole formed in February, reports said. A local historian speaking to radio station NJ101.5 compared the ground in the area to 'Swiss cheese' because of the old mines. Gov Phil Murphy said: 'We will continue to work around the clock so that New Jersey commuters and families get their lives back on track.' Murphy had declared a state of emergency in Morris County two weeks ago to address infrastructure damage. Drone footage of the sinkhole was captured by King Home Inspection Services. As of Friday afternoon, the NJDOT had not provided an update on when the westbound lanes would reopen. Credit: King Home Inspection Services via Storyful
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NJ sinkhole issues continue; what happened on Route 80?
The Route 80 traffic nightmare worsens as a new sinkhole opened up on Interstate 80 Westbound Wednesday evening, now shutting it down in both directions. The eastbound stretch of I-80 through Wharton, New Jersey has been closed since Feb. 10 for repairs after a depression in the road way gave way to an 11-foot by 11-foot sinkhole. The new 15-foot by 15-foot hole opened up in the center median during a drilling operation, according to officials. Both these sinkholes are part of a series, following a previous December 40-foot by 40-foot hole that opened just 75 feet away from the February incident. Officials blamed abandoned mineshafts that collapsed. As of Thursday morning, New Jersey Department of Transportation announced that "all lanes remain closed and detoured at Exit 34 northbound in Wharton due to emergency construction." According to news officials, repairs on the existing sinkholes were expected to have lasted another two months, albeit the timeline is now subject to change and unclear as NJDOT continues to evaluate the new situation. The closure impacts a major artery for commuters in the tri-state area as well as truckers through the state of New Jersey, an east-west transcontinental freeway that crosses the country from the Garden State, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. Sinkholes form when underground rock dissolves due to water, creating voids and cavities and then the surface sinks or collapses into them. They can result from seasonal changes such as freeze and thaw of the ground or extremes in precipitation like drought and heavy rain. Sinkholes are all about water causing disturbances of the soil. In the case of the I-80 sinkholes, officials are blaming mineshafts that have collapsed, but attributing them to water nonetheless. "What really causes these sinkholes to open up after such a long amount of time is water," College of New Jersey civil engineering professor Andrew Bechtel said in news reports. "Water probably caused the first sinkhole to collapse. When they filled it, they changed how water moved under I-80. And now they're probably developing a new one in a different place. So the realistic problem is to figure out where all these old mines go, and then fill and cap them and then rebuild the road on top." After the February sinkhole collapse and investigation, NJDOT said they "identified 90 locations to be assessed and mitigate potential instability or possible voids." Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. This article originally appeared on NJ sinkhole closes Route 80; what we know about Route 80 sink hole
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Route 80 east in Wharton to remain closed two more months for sinkhole repairs
Interstate 80 east in Wharton will remain closed for another two months as work to repair damages from the sinkhole continues, the New Jersey Department of Transportation announced on Friday. However, there is a plan to create a "crossover" lane to help alleviate some detours and delays on the highway. The emergency repairs between Exit 34 and the bridge over Route 15 in Wharton have been split into six different phases, said the department. The repairing of the actual sinkhole has not yet started. The NJ DOT said they have completed the first phase which is "geotechnical tests" which were done to assess the condition of the roadway base. These tests helped the department identify approximately 150 locations to drill and grout. The drilling and grouting on the road is the next step in repairs, and is expected to last approximately four weeks, said the NJDOT. This construction is meant to stabilize the area under the roadway, where a "significant void" was found. In the locations that need to be repaired, 135 have been drilled and 114 have been filled with grout. While 75% of the locations have been drilled and grouted, the remaining locations are "closer to the area of greatest concern" and therefore will require more time to be completed. The repairing of the sinkhole will take place once drilling and grouting on the highway is finished, said NJDOT. The design of the repairs will be similar to what was used to fix the sinkhole in December 2024, which also occurred on I-80 in Wharton. The procedure will include "excavating the area, installing a base of large stone with a wire mesh on top. More stone and a concrete layer will go over the wire mesh. Additional fill and soil will be placed on top of the concrete and compacted before several layers of asphalt will be applied to reconstruct the road," the NJDOT said. While repairs happen, a monitoring system will be installed to track surface and underground conditions. The monitoring system will include remote sensing technology on poles that will scan the pavement for changes, sensors beneath the road which will detect early signs of subsurface movement and deeper underground devices to monitor long-term soil stability. Quality assurance testing, milling and paving will also be a part of the repair process. The state is also looking to the federal government in help funding the sinkhole repairs. The Emergency Declaration, laid out my Gov. Phil Murphy, was a step toward applying for emergency federal funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Along with the update on repairs, NJ DOT said there is a plan for a "crossover lane," which would "shift one lane of I-80 eastbound traffic onto I-80 westbound," reducing westbound traffic to two lanes. The design for the crossover lane is still being finalized, said the department. The hope is that this crossover lane will ensure tractor trailers and other large commercial vehicles will not have to take the detour and alternate routes, which will remain in place, and instead continue on to I-80. Once the crossover design is complete, construction will last approximately two weeks, said the state DOT. Local officials were informed about the potential plan of a crossover lane and how it may affect their towns in Morris County. Many of the same alternative routes and detours remain in place as construction continues on the highway. The NJDOT press release listed some of the available detours in place. I-80 eastbound Exit 34 detour: Motorists on I-80 eastbound are being directed to take Exit 34 to Route 15/Wharton/Dover/Sparta At the end of the ramp, stay right following signs for Route 15/Jefferson/Dover/Sparta/Picatinny Arsenal Stay in the right lane on North Main Street following signs for Route 15 North/Jefferson/Sparta Bear right toward Route 15 northbound/Picatinny Arsenal At the traffic signal, merge onto Route 15 northbound Stay left, following signs for Pondview Drive/U and Left Turns Using both lanes, make a U-turn at the Pondview Drive traffic signal and merge onto Route 15 southbound Stay left to take the exit to I-80 eastbound Route 10 eastbound alternate route: Motorists on I-80 eastbound are advised to take Exit 28/Route 46 eastbound to Route 10/Ledgewood/Lake Hopatcong, which is several miles before the closure Continue on Route 46 eastbound Stay right to take Route 10 eastbound Take the exit to I-287 northbound Stay right to take the ramp to I-80 eastbound NJ DOT advises to "use Exit 28 to take Route 10 eastbound or Route 46 eastbound as an alternate route to avoid the area. This exit is several miles before the closure." Route 46 eastbound alternate route: Motorists on I-80 eastbound are advised to take Exit 28/Route 46 eastbound to Route 10/Ledgewood/Lake Hopatcong, which is several miles before the closure Continue on Route 46 eastbound Stay in the two left lanes to turn left at the traffic signal to continue on Route 46 eastbound Turn left onto Route 15 northbound in Dover, back to I-80 or continue on Route 46 eastbound for about 12 miles and stay left for I-80 eastbound This article originally appeared on Route 80 in Wharton NJ closed two more months for sinkhole repairs
