Detours on Route 295, Route 76, Route 42 Start Friday

Plan on at least a few headaches through the Route 295/42/76 merge this weekend, with the southbound ramp to 295 from 76 shutting down from Friday night through at least Monday morning as part of a new construction zone in the Direct Connection project, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials announced.

Workers from PKF Mark III will close the left-lane exit ramp around 11 p.m. Friday, forcing detours through the weekend for drivers trying to get to southbound 295.

The ramp closure is necessary for excavation work along the inside shoulder of that side of the highway, NJDOT officials said, but all the work should be done by 5 a.m. Monday.

There is the chance things could wrap up early, NJDOT officials said, in which case the ramp would reopen once the excavation is complete.

Drivers can use one of two detours to get around the ramp closure:

Route 76 east’s Exit 1B for Route 295 northbound to Exit 28 for Route 168 north to the ramp for Route 295 south.

Route 76 east to Route 42 south’s Exit 14 to use Creek Road to get onto Route 42 north to Route 295 north to Exit 28 for Route 168 north to the ramp for Route 295 south.

The $900 million Direct Connection project is currently in its first, $160 million phase, which runs through the summer of 2015.

The entire Direct Connection project, reorganizing the three-highway interchange, will take eight years to complete.