ROXBURY, NJ - The two left lanes of Route 80 eastbound near Exit 37 in Rockaway Township were closed to traffic today (May 12) after a hole emerged in the highway's left shoulder.
The state Department of Transportation (NJDOT) said the lane closures, which started at about 5 p.m. near the Route 513/Hibernia Avenue exit, were not the result of a sinkhole similar to those that have closed both lanes of the interstate nearby in Wharton, causing massive traffic backups in Roxbury as drivers take alternate routes.
“After 5 p.m. today, Monday, May 12, the two left lanes on I-80 eastbound near the on ramp from Green Pond Road in Rockaway were closed due to a collapsed sewer basin,” said the state. “Two lanes remain open. The damage is not a sinkhole.”
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At about 6:30 p.m., the NJDOT said repair crews were enroute “and will be working overnight to repair the damaged drainage infrastructure.” The state said it did not know how long the repairs would take, but advised drivers to “use caution, slow down, move over and expect delays.”
It also said the “precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors,” urging motorists to check its traffic information website www.511nj.org for construction updates and real-time travel information.
The state continues to predict that at least two lanes in each direction of the completely closed highway in Wharton will soon reopen. It said two repair teams are working concurrently on both the eastbound and westbound sides which were both affected by sinkholes blamed on collapsing abandoned iron mines below the highway.
The NJDOT expects to have two eastbound lanes reopened by the middle of this month, and two westbound lanes reopened by the end of May. The full reopening of all lanes in both directions is expected by June 25.
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