"Structurally deficient and functionally obsolete" -- never words you want to hear about a bridge that carries more than 150,000 cars a day on an artery crucial to transit in and out of America's biggest city.
And yet, that's the status of the Route 495 Viaduct, part of the 3.5-mile freeway that connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel.
The bridge must be partially replaced, a project that starts in earnest on Aug. 10 and is expected to take 2.5 years, during which time commuters will face multiple and persistent lane closures.
The gridlock might be unimaginable. So, consider this a Route 495 Survival Guide.
Detours
Detour 1: Route 495 westbound exit ramp to Paterson Plank Road
Local
Detour 2: Route 495 westbound ramp to Route 1 and 9 southbound
Detour 3: 31st Street on-ramp to westbound Route 495
Project Alerts
You can sign up here to receive email alerts from the NJ Department of Transportation about planned lane closures and pattern changes.
Latest Congestion Reports
Read below for the latest congestion reports from NJ 511, the state's traffic update service.
