Latest official NJ update on closed Route 80

☑️ Route 80 had been closed eastbound in Wharton for over a month

☑️ A crossover lane should open soon to keep truck traffic on the highway

☑️ The repairs are in the 2nd of six phases to completion

Commuters around Route 80 in Morris County got good news and bad news about the closure caused by a maze of old mines under the collapsing highway.

The good news is that designs are nearly complete on a crossover to shift one eastbound lane to the westbound side of the highway. Once the design is final, it will take about two weeks to complete. The goal is to keep tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles off Route 10 and 46, which are being used as alternate routes.

"This measure will hopefully ease the burden of truck traffic in our communities by reducing their reliance on detours and alternate routes," state Sen. Senator Anthony Bucco, R-Morris, said in a statement. "I recognize the significant disruption this has caused to everyday life and we are fully committed to resolving the issue as swiftly, and more importantly, as safely as possible."

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Work is in the 2nd of six phases

The bad news is that the DOT expects the full repair of the eastbound lanes in Wharton to take another two months.

The repair has entered the second of six phases, which involves the drilling and grouting of voids under the roadway to stabilize the highway. The work includes filling holes, loose soil, and small voids. As of Friday, 135 locations or 90 % have been completed.

“The drilling and grouting work is outlining the area that will require a more extensive repair. We expect to measure progress not by how many locations are drilled and grouted each day, but by how many days each location will take to be drilled and grouted,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said in a statement.

Subsequent phases include repairing the sinkhole, testing to ensure the long-term stability of the road, and the installation of a system to monitor the underground.

The DOT is working with the FHWA New Jersey Division Office to complete a package in order to get emergency federal funding for the repair work.

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