I-80 Eastbound Full Closure Friday Night to Reopen All Eastbound Lanes Saturday Morning in Wharton, Morris County

All Lanes on I-80 to Reopen Ahead of Schedule

 

TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today announced the full re-opening of I-80 following its temporary closures for construction after sinkholes impacted the roadway this year. All three lanes on I-80 eastbound are expected to reopen Saturday, June 21, four days ahead of schedule in Wharton, Morris County. All lanes on I-80 westbound reopened last Saturday, June 14, 11 days earlier than anticipated.

In order to reopen the left lane and restore all lanes on I-80 eastbound, there will be a full closure of I-80 eastbound Friday night for final paving and striping.

“I am thrilled to see all lanes of I-80 open safely this weekend so we can ensure that New Jerseyans can get to where they need to go efficiently and safely,” Governor Phil Murphy said. "Importantly, I want to thank the thousands of New Jerseyans who have been impacted by these sinkholes for their patience as we worked to secure this roadway. I also want to thank NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor, the NJDOT crews, and the New Jersey State Police who have worked around the clock to open this highway safely."

“With the reopening of all lanes on I-80 eastbound this Saturday, full mobility will be restored on I-80 in both directions ahead of schedule,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “We could not have completed this massive project without the support and assistance of Governor Murphy, the local elected officials, and the New Jersey State Police. I want to thank the NJDOT staff and our contractors for working non-stop for months to get I-80 reopened, and in particular, I want to thank the residents, businesses, and motorists for their patience during construction. The repairs are permanent, and I am confident that the highway is now stronger and safer than it was before the first sinkhole developed. The engineering and magnitude of work that went into stabilizing and strengthening this road for decades to come is truly remarkable.”

“Despite some challenging weather last weekend, I’m relieved that I-80 is still on track to fully reopen this weekend. This has been a long and difficult process, but I’m proud of how our community came together throughout this crisis,” Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco said. “From commuters and residents to local businesses, everyone worked together and showed tremendous patience. Thank you to the NJDOT leadership and the dedicated crews who’ve worked tirelessly to get this project done. We’re looking forward to getting things back to normal later this week.”

“The re-opening of I-80 eastbound ahead of schedule is a testament to the extraordinary commitment of our transportation professionals,” Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn said. “I want to thank the NJDOT team and all of the crews on the ground for working tirelessly, often through adverse conditions, to restore this critical corridor. Now we turn our focus to the long term work of strengthening our infrastructure so that we can better prevent emergencies like this.”

“Thanks to the work crews and NJDOT staff we have come to the long-awaited opening of I-80 on June 21st,” Assemblyman Christian Barranco said. “While the pain of this closure was felt throughout the district, NJDOT provided a masterclass on project management from beginning to end being able to open ahead of schedule with a beautiful new roadway.”

I-80 Eastbound
Beginning at 9 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, June 20 until 9 a.m. Saturday, June 21, all lanes on I-80 eastbound are scheduled to be closed and detoured at Exit 34/Wharton/Dover/Sparta. The closure is necessary to complete final paving and striping to reopen all lanes on I-80 eastbound. The following detour will be in place Friday night:

I-80 eastbound at 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
   

By 9 a.m. Saturday, June 21, all lanes on I-80 eastbound are expected to reopen. Two lanes on I-80 eastbound reopened May 21, and the detour utilizing Exit 34 was removed.

I-80 Westbound
Two lanes on I-80 westbound reopened May 30, and the detour utilizing Exit 34B was removed. All three lanes on I-80 westbound were reopened Saturday, June 14, 11 days ahead of schedule.

NJDOT has created an I-80 project web page to keep the public informed about the progress of repairs.

An I-80 travel time page has been added to www.511NJ.org and has current travel times.

Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information. For NJDOT news follow us on X (Twitter) @NewJerseyDOT, on the NJDOT Facebook page, or Instagram @NewJersey.DOT.