LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Sussex County) — Motorists should expect delays on Route 15 in Lafayette Township beginning Friday night as a monthlong alternating traffic pattern is put in place for a bridge replacement project, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, Route 15 southbound is scheduled to close between the Lafayette Fire House and Morris Farm Road. Traffic will alternate on the northbound side of the highway with flaggers directing vehicles overnight.
New Jersey State Police will also assist with temporary 15-minute traffic stoppages, NJDOT said.
The overnight work will include restriping the roadway, installing construction barriers and putting temporary traffic signals in place.
By 7 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, the temporary signals are expected to be activated, allowing alternating traffic to continue on Route 15 northbound between the Lafayette Fire House and Lafayette Municipal Parking Lot.
Temporary light towers and additional traffic signals will also be installed to provide access to Lafayette Pond Park and several driveways.
The traffic pattern is expected to remain in place for about a month, through mid-September.
The existing driveway to the Lafayette Pond Park parking lot will remain closed for the duration of the project. Access will instead be provided through a temporary driveway constructed during an earlier phase of the work.
The alternating traffic pattern will allow crews to construct a temporary bridge on the southbound side of Route 15.
Once that bridge is finished, NJDOT plans to remove the temporary traffic signals, restore two-way traffic and shift vehicles onto the temporary bridge. That will allow crews to demolish and reconstruct the existing Route 15 bridge over the Paulins Kill.
Motorists should expect delays and are advised to consider alternate routes using Route 94 and Route 206.
The work is part of a $4.7 million project to replace the Route 15 bridge over the Paulins Kill, which NJDOT said is in poor condition.
The replacement bridge will be wider and include new travel lanes, shoulders and sidewalks. ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps will also be installed on the southbound side, extending the sidewalk to the driveway of the Lafayette Center Preservation Foundation/Ludlum-Mabee House.
The overall project is expected to be completed in fall 2027.
NJDOT said the timing of the work is subject to change because of weather or other factors. Motorists can check 511nj.org for real-time traffic information.
