Lane Closures Planned as I-78 Work Continues

The New Jersey Department of Transportation has announced a series of upcoming traffic pattern changes as the major rehabilitation of Interstate 78 moves to the next stage of construction in Essex and Union counties. 

Tonight, Friday, July 20, reconstruction on the left and center travel-lanes on I-78 eastbound begins.
 
During this phase of construction, I-78 eastbound will be permanently reduced from five travel lanes to four travel lanes, with two lanes maintained in the local lanes (reduced from four lanes currently) and two in the express lanes (increased from one lane currently), respectively.  The Exit 56 (W. Peddie Street/Elizabeth Avenue) ramp from I-78 eastbound express will be reopened.  Overnight lane closures will be necessary to implement the new construction zone on I-78 eastbound.

Workers will also reconstruct the express to local cross over on I-78 westbound in the express lanes in the vicinity of Lyons Avenue (milepost 55.7). This work will be accomplished over the weekends of July 20-23 and July 27-30.

As a result: 

The westbound express lanes at the NJ Turnpike Toll Plaza will be closed overnight beginning at 10 pm (reopening at 9 am Saturday morning; 11 a.m. Sunday morning; and 4 a.m. Monday morning);

The I-78 westbound express to local slip ramp at milepost 55.7 will be closed from 10 pm Friday until around 5 am Monday;

The Route 1&9 southbound entrance onto I-78 westbound express will be closed from 10 pm Friday until around 4 am Monday, with route 1&9 south traffic being directed to the local lanes;

 I-78 westbound local lanes will be reduced from four travel lanes to three in this area – between Exits 56 and 54 - during these same working hours.

The $72 million project is for the construction of a new asphalt roadway along both directions of I-78 from west of Ramsey Avenue (milepost 53.8) in Union Township to the Route 21 interchange (milepost 56.9) in Newark.  The new pavement is designed to last up to 20 years and the project is scheduled to be completed in early 2014.