I-80 westbound right lane closed Wednesday night for rumble strip removal in Wharton Borough

UPDATE: Sinkhole closes I-80 westbound in Wharton Borough

WHARTON BOROUGH, NJ (Morris County) – The right lane on I-80 westbound Is scheduled to be closed Wednesday night to remove rumble strips In the shoulder as emergency sinkhole repairs continue on I-80 eastbound in Wharton Borough.

At least two lanes on I-80 westbound will remain open overnight. In addition, one lane on the Route 15 southbound ramp to I-80 eastbound is scheduled to be closed Wednesday night.

Beginning at 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, until 6:00 a.m., Thursday, March 20, the right lane on I-80 westbound is scheduled to be closed before Exit 34B in Wharton Borough to remove the rumble strips along the shoulder.

At least two lanes will be maintained. If work is completed early, all lanes on I-80 westbound will reopen sooner. The work is needed to prepare for the construction of a crossover to shift one lane of I-80 eastbound onto I-80 westbound.

In addition, one lane on the Route 15 southbound ramp to I-80 eastbound is scheduled to be closed beginning at 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, until 6:00 a.m., Thursday, March 20 to build a construction driveway. One lane on the ramp will be maintained. If necessary, one lane on the Route 15 southbound ramp to 1-80 eastbound will be closed again on Thursday night, March 20 at the same time.

Traffic Mitigation

The Department is finalizing a design to build a crossover to shift one lane of I-80 eastbound traffic onto I-80 westbound, which would reduce westbound traffic to two lanes. The goal is to keep tractor trailers and other large commercial vehicles on I-80 and remove them from the detour and alternate routes, which will remain in place. NJDOT will provide an update once the crossover design is finalized, and construction is scheduled. It is expected to take approximately two weeks to construct.

The Department is continuing to work closely with local officials and the New Jersey State Police to improve mobility along the detour and alternate routes in the region. NJDOT has adjusted the timing of signals on Route 15, Route 10, and Route 46, which serve as the detour and alternate routes, respectively. NJDOT and New Jersey State Police will continue to monitor traffic conditions and make adjustments as necessary to mitigate delays. We ask motorists to avoid the area, plan extra travel time, and be patient while repairs are ongoing.

In addition, NJDOT is using technology to send messages to commercial truckers to provide information about the closure, detour, and alternate routes. The Department is also using digital messaging signs and working with our regional transportation partners to share information so drivers can make informed decisions about potential alternate routes to take.

Detours and alternate route

I-80 eastbound traffic is being detoured at Exit 34. The following detour remains in place:

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-tum at the Pondview Drive traffic signal and merge onto Route 15 southbound
• Stay left to take the exit to 1-80 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. This exit is several miles before the closure:

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 1-287 northbound
• Stay right to take the ramp to 1-80 eastbound

Route 46 eastbound Alternate Route:

• Motorists on 1-80 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
• Tum 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