Timeline for the reopening of Route 80 East

✅ Route 80 eastbound closed in March by voids created by abandoned mines

✅ The westbound lanes closed for the same reason

✅ The main alternatives on Routes 10,15 and 46 will see less traffic

WHARTON — Two lanes on Route 80 eastbound at Exit 34 are on track to open late Wednesday night for the first time since March, despite all-day rain.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation said the right lane and shoulder will be used as travel lanes with a 40 mph speed limit once the road reopens. Spokesman Steve Schapiro told New Jersey 101.5 that the asphlalt cooling and hardening was completed Tuesday along with striping the lanes.

The last stage is the installation of a construction barrier and pinning it in place. Work equipment must also be demobilized and moved. Shapiro said rain may slow the work today but the lanes are expected to reopen. New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow said that Morris County could receive the heaviest of the rain on Wednesday and Thursday.

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Getting around the delay

Work will continue through the Memorial Day weekend on the westbound lanes. Two lanes are scheduled to open sometime between Memorial Day and the end of the month.

NJ Transit has offered a 50% discount on roundtrip train travel from Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong & Mount Arlington to alleviate traffic. The agency said the discount would remain in place until all work is complete.

Route 80 first closed after Christmas after a 15-by-15 foot sinkhole opened up. After repairs were completed in under a week another sinkhole opened up on the opposite side of the road along with one in the westbound lanes. Detoured traffic created a nightmare for local businesses as Routes 10, 15 and 46 became the alternative for drivers who did not necessarily stop at their businesses.

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