The North Jersey transportation news isn't all horrible.
As rail commuters cope with an NJ Transit strike that began at midnight and Newark Airport endures delays and measles scares, motorists may get some long-awaited relief next week on Route 80.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation announced that two eastbound lanes on the sinkhole-plagued interstate are scheduled to open on May 21, weather permitting.
Two westbound lanes on Route 80 are still scheduled to reopen by the end of May, and all lanes in both directions "are on schedule to reopen by June 25," according to an NJDOT advisory issued on May 16.
The exact date and time of the reopening is subject to weather, the agency said.
"The heavy rains this week have affected the schedule," reads the statement from NJDOT spokesperson Stephen Schapiro. "There are two separate crews working concurrently to expedite repairs. Crews are working 24 hours a day until repairs are completed."
The advisory sketched the work left to be done on the I-80 repairs:
"All three concrete slabs on the eastbound side have been poured," the department said. "After the concrete cures, a sealant has to be applied to the concrete, which cannot be done if it is raining. Once that is done, stone and aggregate will be added on top of the concrete slabs to form the roadway base in preparation for paving multiple layers of asphalt.
"The roadway will then be striped and [a] barrier curb will be installed to separate the median work zone from the two lanes of traffic, which will be utilizing the shoulder as a travel lane, and the right lane. Two lanes on I-80 eastbound are expected to reopen on May 21, weather permitting.
I-80 sinkhole nightmare
The news comes as welcome relief for motorists who have coped with detours through local streets in Wharton and other towns, starting in late December when a first sinkhole was identified and repaired near Exit 34 on Route 80 East. All eastbound lanes were closed after another void was detected 75 feet from the first one on Feb. 27.
A closure of westbound lanes due to yet another sinkhole issue on March 19 effectively brought that portion of the highway to a complete standstill, frustrating both drivers and local businesses along the detour routes who saw business drop dramatically.
Route 80 detours, travel times
The DOT reminded motorists to continue to use the signed detours and not cut through local streets that are unable to handle trucks and additional traffic. The public can search for alternate routes and follow the progress of the repairs on the state's I-80 project web page.
A Route 80 travel time page has been added to www.511NJ.org and has current travel times on the detour routes and alternate routes. the agency said.
Motorists can also follow NJDOT social media for updates via X (Twitter) at @NewJerseyDOT, the NJDOT Facebook page or Instagram at @NewJersey.DOT.