There's a bit of good news for New Jersey commuters, at least the ones that drive.
Two lanes of eastbound I-80 in Wharton are finally set to reopen on Wednesday (weather permitting) following extensive closures brought upon by a series of sinkholes dating back to the winter.
Those eastbound lanes aren't alone, though, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. By the end of May, the DOT says another two lanes going westbound are expected to reopen as well.
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WATCH HEREThe news comes months after the first sinkholes started wreaking havoc on Morris County.
The first sinkhole that materialized back in December was the size of a four-story building and took four days to fix. But since then, many more voids have been found.
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SIGN UP Part of the problem stemmed from the sheer number of voids that had been found under I-80. It was first thought there were about 90 voids, but crews have since found about twice as many.
The most recent sinkhole developed on March 19, a 15x15 crater on the side of the road. It is believed abandoned underground mines may be responsible for the sinkholes having opened up.
In the following weeks, the DOT has dispatched two teams working concurrently around the clock to expedite repairs and shore up the lanes in both directions of I-80.
The rest of the work is currently on schedule to reopen all lanes of I-80 by June 25.
How do I avoid the closures on I-80?
Here is the information from NJDOT on how to avoid the closures.
I-80 westbound Exit 34 Detour:
- Motorists on I-80 westbound will be directed to take Exit 34B to Route 15 north/Jefferson/Sparta
- Keep left on Route 15 northbound
- Use the left two left lanes at Pondview Drive to make a U-turn onto Route 15 southbound
- Stay right to take the ramp to I-80 westbound
I-80 eastbound 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
Traffic is advised to use Exit 28 to take Route 10 eastbound or Route 46 eastbound as an alternate route to avoid the area.
Route 10 eastbound Alternate Route:
- Motorists on I-80 eastbound are advised to take Exit 28/Route 46 eastbound to Route 10/Ledgewood/Lake Hopatcong, which is several miles before the closure
- Continue on Route 46 eastbound
- Stay right to take Route 10 eastbound
- Take the exit to I-287 northbound
- Stay right to take the ramp to I-80 eastbound
Route 46 eastbound Alternate Route:
- Motorists on I-80 eastbound are advised to take Exit 28/Route 46 eastbound to Route 10/Ledgewood/Lake Hopatcong, which is several miles before the closure
- Continue on Route 46 eastbound
- Stay in the two left lanes to turn left at the traffic signal to continue on Route 46 eastbound
- Turn left onto Route 15 northbound in Dover, back to I-80
or
- Continue on Route 46 eastbound for about 12 miles and stay left for I-80 eastbound
