Two-way traffic to be restored on Route 15 as Lafayette bridge project advances
LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Sussex County) — Two-way traffic is scheduled to be restored on Route 15 in Lafayette Saturday morning as work advances on a bridge replacement project over the Paulins Kill, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, through 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, Route 15 will have alternating traffic controlled by flaggers between the Lafayette Fire House and Morris Farm Road while crews restripe the roadway and remove temporary traffic signals.
By 7 a.m. Saturday, the temporary signals are expected to be removed and one lane in each direction will be restored. Traffic will be shifted onto a newly constructed temporary bridge over the Paulins Kill.
The traffic shift will allow crews to demolish and reconstruct the existing Route 15 bridge over the river.
The regular driveway to the Lafayette Pond Park parking lot will remain closed for the duration of the project. Access will continue through a temporary driveway constructed during an earlier stage of the project.
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 new bridge will be wider, with a 12-foot travel lane, 8-foot shoulder and 6-foot sidewalk in the northbound direction and a 15-foot travel lane and 7-foot sidewalk in the southbound direction.
The project also includes ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps on the southbound side, extending the sidewalk to the driveway of the Lafayette Center Preservation Foundation/Ludlum-Mabee House.
The 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 are advised to slow down, use caution and expect delays while traveling through the work zone.
