Motorists who use the Lincoln Tunnel during the overnight hours should start thinking of an alternate route.
The Port Authority plans to repair the helix beginning in August. The eastbound lanes will be closed from 10:30 p.m. until 5 a.m. on weekdays.
The $88 million project calls for repaving the road, rehabilitating the concrete deck and fixing the deteriorating steel that underpins the elevated roadway.
Mike Oglesby, a Weehawken resident who has a view of the infamous Lincoln Tunnel helix, said repairs are long overdue.
"On a rainy day, you'll always have on the curve here at least one wreck a day," he said.
But the repair will force lane closures through next August.
Lincoln Tunnel general manager Steve Napolitano tells The Record newspaper rush-hour passengers can follow their normal routes.
The tunnel will remain open and accessible during the overnight work. However, motorists will need to use local roads to enter the tube.
Local
"It will back us up all the way into Hoboken," said driver Fred Velez, who feared the prospect of daily traffic jams.
"It's just going to be bumper to bumper," said Annie Naughton.
An estimated 92 million people pass into New York City through the tunnel each year, mostly in commuter buses.
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