I-80 Lanes Reopening Soon As Crews Continue Sinkhole Repairs

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Two lanes of Interstate 80 in Morris County are expected to reopen next week as crews continue to repair damage caused by several sinkholes, New Jersey transportation officials said Friday.

Residents of western Morris County have spent months coping with delays and heavier traffic in their communities. The troubles on I-80 date back to December, when the collapse of an abandoned mineshaft near Exit 34 in Wharton triggered the first sinkhole.

In an update released Friday, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said two lanes on I-80 eastbound are expected to reopen on May 21, weather permitting.

All lanes in both directions are scheduled to reopen by June 25, officials said.

"The heavy rains this week and last week have affected the schedule as some of the work is weather-dependent and cannot be done in the rain," NJDOT officials said. "There are two separate crews working concurrently — one on the eastbound side and one on the westbound side — to expedite repairs."

Officials said crews will continue working 24 hours a day until repairs are completed and the highway is reopened.

The westbound lanes were shut down as a precaution after a sinkhole formed in the median near I-80 west on March 19, halting traffic on the highway. Officials had hoped to open two westbound lanes in April, but testing uncovered another void beneath the left lane.

Meanwhile, the eastbound lanes at Exit 34 have been closed since Feb. 10 due to a sinkhole that developed in the center lanes.

NJDOT has created an I-80 project web page to update the public on repair progress. The page also provides information on detours, alternate routes, and other options to help minimize traffic congestion in the area.

Additionally, a new I-80 travel time page was added to www.511NJ.org, offering residents real-time travel times for detours and alternate routes.