I-78 Lane Closures Expected Overnight In Somerset County

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Drivers should expect temporary closures of Interstate 78 West overnight on Friday into Saturday as the bridge replacement project advances in Bedminster, announced the New Jersey Department of Transportation(NJDOT).

The closures will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 9, and continue through 7 a.m. on Saturday, June 10.

NJDOT’s contractor, Ferreira Construction Co., is scheduled to close one lane on I-78 westbound after the merge with traffic from I-287. At 11 p.m., a second lane will be closed.

Construction is expected to begin in the right lane and move to the left, as work progresses. At least one lane will be maintained overnight.

By 7 a.m. Saturday, all three lanes of traffic on the bridge will be open with traffic shifted to the left, off the right shoulder, and back into its original configuration, according to NJDOT.

Motorists are asked to slow down, use caution, and expect delays or plan an alternate route.

The closures are part of the $6.9 million federally-funded project which will replace the existing bridge carrying I-78 westbound over the North Branch of the Raritan River - which was in poor condition.

Construction will occur in multiple stages to maintain three lanes in each direction on I-78 during construction. A temporary bridge has been built to carry two lanes of traffic with one lane maintained on the existing bridge during construction.

The project is anticipated to be completed in 2023.