I-80 westbound traffic to be shifted to temporary bridge over Berkshire Valley Road in Roxbury

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that Interstate 80 westbound traffic will be diverted onto a temporary bridge over Berkshire Valley Road in the Township of Roxbury, Morris County.

Beginning on Friday, March 26, NJDOT will shift I-80 westbound traffic onto the temporary bridge in the median in order to begin demolition of the existing westbound bridge deck. This traffic shift will require overnight single and double-lane closures on I-80 westbound between 9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday, and single lane closures from 6 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. Sunday.

The new traffic pattern, with all three I-80 westbound travel lanes diverted onto the temporary bridge, is expected to be in place by 10 a.m. Sunday morning, March 28.

The temporary bridge enables NJDOT to maintain three travel lanes on I-80 during the demolition of the existing bridge decks and construction of the new decks. By keeping live traffic and vibrations away from the construction, the new bridge decks are expected to last significantly longer than conventionally staged bridge decks. Diverting traffic onto the temporary bridge will also allow NJDOT to accelerate the construction and complete each deck within a shorter time-frame.

Once the existing westbound bridge deck has been removed, NJDOT will construct the new I-80 westbound deck over Berkshire Valley Road. This work is anticipated to be complete in July, 2010.

At that time, NJDOT will shift I-80 westbound traffic onto the newly rebuilt mainline bridge and shift I-80 eastbound on to the temporary structure. Demolition and reconstruction of the eastbound bridge deck will begin in August and be complete in December 2010.

This work, including the construction of new bridge support beams and bearings, is part of an $11 million federally funded project that is replacing the structurally deficient I-80 bridge decks over Berkshire Valley Road in Roxbury.

Variable message signs on I-80 are in place to notify motorists of upcoming construction and traffic pattern changes. NJDOT provides emergency roadway information, construction schedule updates and real time traffic information and images at www.511nj.org