I-78 westbound Exit 29 ramp to I-287 to close Friday night in Somerset County
SOMERSET COUNTY, N.J. — The Interstate 78 westbound Exit 29 ramp to Interstate 287 is scheduled to close Friday night, Oct. 23, as work continues on a $67 million bridge deck replacement project in Bedminster and Bridgewater townships, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
The overnight closure will follow daytime lane restrictions Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23, as crews prepare to shift traffic onto a newly constructed portion of the I-78 westbound bridge over Routes 202/206.
From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday, the right lane of the I-78 westbound Exit 29 ramp to I-287 will be closed. One lane will remain open during those hours, maintaining access to both I-287 northbound and southbound.
Additional restrictions are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Friday and continue until 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, when the right and center lanes of I-78 westbound will be closed after the bridge over Washington Valley Road. One westbound lane will remain open during that period.
The Exit 29 ramp to I-287 will then be completely closed and detoured from 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday. NJDOT said the closures are necessary to mill and pave the ramp, restripe the roadway and remove construction barriers to shift traffic onto the newly built portion of the bridge over Routes 202/206.
By 6 a.m. Saturday, traffic is expected to be shifted onto the new bridge, and the Exit 29 ramp will be restored to its original configuration.
Exit 29 overnight detour
Motorists traveling on I-78 westbound who need to access I-287 or Routes 202/206 during the overnight ramp closure will be directed to continue westbound to Exit 26.
Drivers should turn left at the end of the exit ramp onto Rattlesnake Bridge Road, cross over I-78 and turn left onto the entrance ramp for I-78 eastbound. Motorists should then stay right and take Exit 29 for I-287 and Routes 202/206.
NJDOT said two through lanes on I-78 westbound will continue to be maintained on the temporary roadway and bridge over Routes 202/206 as the project advances.
Oversized truck restrictions remain in place
A separate detour for oversized and heavy trucks, which began May 2, remains in effect because of the temporary traffic configuration within the construction zone.
The restrictions apply to vehicles measuring 8.5 feet wide or more and vehicles weighing more than 40 tons.
Oversized vehicles traveling westbound on I-78 from the New Jersey Turnpike, whether in the express or local lanes, must take Exit 48 to Route 24 westbound, continue to I-287 southbound and use Exit 21B to return to I-78 westbound.
Oversized vehicles entering I-78 westbound from local roads between Exit 45 at Glenside Avenue and Exit 33 at Martinsville Road must instead travel eastbound on I-78, remain in the local lanes and take Exit 48 to Route 24 westbound. From there, drivers should continue to I-287 southbound and take Exit 21B to I-78 westbound.
NJDOT said oversized vehicles that enter I-78 westbound between Exit 45 at Glenside Avenue and Exit 36 at King George Road will be directed to Exit 33, where they must turn around and travel eastbound toward Route 24 westbound.
The truck restrictions are necessary because westbound traffic has been shifted into a temporary configuration extending from near the closed Scenic Overlook to Exit 29 at I-287.
Within that section, the two left lanes have been shifted onto a temporary bridge in the median over Washington Valley Road, while a single right lane remains on the existing roadway. The arrangement allows crews to demolish and reconstruct the right side of the bridge while maintaining through traffic.
$67 million bridge replacement project
The federally funded project involves replacing the eastbound and westbound bridge decks carrying I-78 over Routes 202/206 and Washington Valley Road, which NJDOT said are in poor condition.
The work also includes upgrading guiderails to current standards, constructing new approach slabs at all four bridges and resurfacing the roadway within the project limits.
Construction is being completed in stages to minimize traffic disruptions, beginning with the eastbound bridges. Work on all four bridges is expected to be completed by fall 2027.
Variable message signs will provide motorists with advance notice of traffic pattern changes. NJDOT said the timing of the closures may change because of weather or other factors and urged drivers to slow down and use caution when traveling through the work zone.
Motorists can check 511nj.org for construction updates and real-time traffic information.
