Good news for NJ traffic: Route 80 west to fully open 11 days early

✅ The Route 80 sinkhole saga began the day after Christmas

✅ Voids under the roadway from abandoned mines were to blame

✅ Westbound lanes will open ahead of schedule

There will be a bit more commuter pain before Route 80 West near Exit 34 completely reopens 11 days ahead of schedule on Saturday, nearly bringing the sinkhole saga to a close in Morris County.

The state Department of Transportation says one of the two lanes currently open will be closed overnight between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The closure will allow crews to remove construction barriers and repave the left lane and part of the median.

All the westbound lanes will be closed one last time Friday night for final paving and restriping. All three lanes in their normal configuration will open sometime on Saturday. The work and schedule are all weather permitting.

All eastbound lanes are on track to reopen by June 25. The shoulder and the left lane are currently in use as travel lanes.

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All lanes in both directions closed for several months

The problems on Route 80 started the day after Christmas when a sinkhole opened on the shoulder along the eastbound lanes. It was repaired within seven days.

A second sinkhole collapsed nearby on Feb 6., closing all the travel lanes while crews filled voids caused by old mines deep under the highway. The westbound lanes were closed on March 19 when a sinkhole collapsed.

Two lanes reopened eastbound on May 21 with two westbound lanes open on May 29.

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