Traffic: GWB Upper Level Night Closings Begin

The upper level of the George Washington Bridge will be closed overnight starting Monday for 12 weeks as a deck rehabilitation project continues.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the three lanes will be
closed  9 p.m. - 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 p.m - 10 a.m. on Friday nights into Saturday morning. Lanes Lanes will not be closed on Saturday or Sunday night and closures will be delayed by one hour after the completion of events at Yankee Stadium and MetLife Statdium.

Eastbound lanes will be the first to be closed this week according to the project schedule.  The direction of the closures will change from week-to-week, The lower level toll plaza will be staffed for both cash and EZ Pass. Trucks will still have access to the upper level.

The $87 million project involves replacing six-foot sections of structural steel adjacent to deck joints in order to extend the GWB's life span by 15-20 years. Once the replacement is done the westbound lanes will be repaved. The  drainage system will also be upgraded during the project which should be done by next year; the Port Authority says the job is 85% complete.

MORE  COVERAGE:

• George Washington Bridge Upper Level Lanes Facing 12-Week Shutdown / CBS New York
• GWB upper lanes to close for 12 weeks for construction / PIX 11
• Overnight Repair Work On Gwb Starts Monday Night; 3 Upper-Level Lanes To Close Down / ABC 7

The Associated Press contributed  to this report