Route 46 Bridge over
Musconetcong River to close Friday night

Reconstruction work expected to be completed this weekend

(Trenton) – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the full closure of the Route 46 bridge over the Musconetcong River in Hackettstown, Warren County, and Mt. Olive and Washington, Morris County, is scheduled to take place Friday night as the project nears completion.

In preparation for the full closure, the bridge will be reduced to a single lane with alternating traffic from 9 p.m. tonight, Thursday, October 16 through 5 a.m. tomorrow morning.

At 10:30 p.m. on Friday, October 17, NJDOT’s contractor, Creamer-Sanzari, Inc., is scheduled to close the bridge to all traffic in both directions until 7:30 a.m. Saturday, October 18, to complete paving.

Signed detours will be posted for cars and trucks. A truck detour will be implemented around the project limits and will utilize only state and county roads.

Car Detour

• Motorists traveling on Route 46 eastbound will be directed to Route 182 (Mountain Avenue) southbound to East Avenue eastbound to Route 46 

• Motorists traveling on Route 46 westbound will be directed to East Avenue westbound to Route 182 (Mountain Avenue) northbound

Truck Detour

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 80 eastbound attempting to reach businesses on the east side of the bridge construction zone are to continue on Route 80 to Exit 27 for Route 46 in Netcong and proceed westbound on Route 46 

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 80 westbound attempting to reach businesses on the west side of the bridge construction zone are  to continue on Route 80 westbound to Exit 19 (CR 517/ Hackettstown/Allamuchy) and continue south on CR 517 into Hackettstown to Route 46 westbound

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 46 eastbound attempting to reach businesses on the east side of the bridge construction zone should take CR 517 (Mountain Ave.) north to Route 80 east to Exit 27 for Route 46 in Netcong and proceed westbound on Route 46

• Tractor trailers traveling on Route 46 westbound attempting to reach businesses on the west side of the bridge construction zone are to take Route 183 south to Route 80 west to Exit 19/CR 517 south into Hackettstown

The partial replacement of the bridge with a new superstructure composed of pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete beams with an integral concrete deck began in mid-June 2014 and included a 10-day closure in August. The $3.4 million federally-funded project used prefabricated components to minimize impacts and expedite the construction period. The project also included drainage improvements and rehabilitating the sidewalks and parapets.

Variable message signs will notify motorists of traffic pattern changes.  The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.  Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org real-time travel information.