MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — As crews continue to repair damage on Interstate 80 caused by several sinkholes, work to reopen two westbound lanes is taking longer than anticipated, New Jersey transportation officials said Friday.Residents of western Morris County have been coping with delays and heavier traffic in their communities. The troubles on I-80 date back to December, when the coll...
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — As crews continue to repair damage on Interstate 80 caused by several sinkholes, work to reopen two westbound lanes is taking longer than anticipated, New Jersey transportation officials said Friday.
Residents of western Morris County have been 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.
Under the original schedule, I-80 westbound was expected to have two lanes reopened by May 4; however, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said Friday those two lanes will now reopen by the end of May.
Officials attributed the delay to sonic drilling taking longer than expected.
"Sonic drilling creates less vibration and is necessary for installing micropiles near the Route 15 Bridge on I-80 westbound," NJDOT said in a news release. "All piles are expected to be completed next week. Once the micropiles are installed, excavation will begin in preparation for construction of the concrete slabs."
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Work on I-80 eastbound is progressing on schedule, officials said, with two lanes expected to reopen in mid-May.
"There are two separate crews working concurrently – one on the eastbound side and one on the westbound side – to expedite repairs," according to NJDOT. "Crews worked on Easter and will continue working 24 hours a day until repairs are completed and the highway reopened. NJDOT will continue to look for any avenues to pick up time on both sides, if possible."
All lanes in both directions are on schedule to reopen by June 25, officials said.
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 last week, 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 keep the public updated 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 has been added to www.511NJ.org, offering residents real-time travel times for detours and alternate routes.