Dreaded Rt. 495 Traffic Will Get Worse After Labor Day: DOT

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — The good news? Despite experts’ predictions of commuter chaos, traffic has been flowing normally near the dreaded Route 495 construction zone near the Lincoln Tunnel. The bad news? That’s likely to change after Labor Day weekend ends, state officials say.

On Friday, just before the kickoff to a busy weekend of holiday travel, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) issued an update on a massive bridge repair project on Rt. 495.

DOT officials previously said the project is expected to hamper thousands of Garden State drivers’ weekday commutes through the Lincoln Tunnel to New York City for at least 2.5 years.

• See related article: DOT Says Expect Traffic Near Lincoln Tunnel… For Years

For now, traffic is flowing smoothly, the DOT stated in an email alert on Aug. 31. According to officials:

“Two weeks ago, one lane of travel was closed in each direction on Route 495 to begin long term construction on the bridge between Route 3/NJ Turnpike and Kennedy Boulevard and the ramps from Route 495 westbound to Paterson Plank Road and the ramp to Route 1&9 south. Since that time, motorists have been cautious traveling through the work zone and traffic has been moving as normally expected.”

But when Labor Day ends, commuters who have been saying “what’s the big deal” may be in for an unpleasant surprise, DOT officials said.

“We anticipate after the Labor Day weekend when summer vacations come to an end, and people are back to work and school resumes that traffic will increase along Route 495 and there will be major congestion and delays.” (Story continues below)

The NJDOT previously provided the following alert about the construction:

“Beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, August 17, NJDOT’s contractor, IEW Construction Group, will close one lane of Route 495 in each direction, limiting the roadway capacity and causing severe congestion. Work will start by closing one lane of Route 495 westbound and then one lane of Route 495 eastbound to establish a center work zone. This configuration will be in place until the fall. At that time, the next stage will begin with a traffic shift to create a work zone on the right side of Route 495 eastbound. This stage is expected to be in place until summer 2019.”

The speed limit in the affected area will be 40 mph during construction, officials stated.

For more information about repairs and traffic updates, visit www.RestoreNJ495.com. In addition, the NJDOT has a project hotline telephone number at (201) 408-8495 and email at DOTOutreachRT495@dot.nj.gov

WHY ARE REPAIRS NEEDED?

According to the NJDOT, the Route 495, Route 1&9/Paterson Plank Road bridge deck is in “poor condition” and the structural framing and supporting piers have areas of severe corrosion and section loss.

“The purpose of this project is to restore the structural integrity of the bridge, extending its service life for an estimated 75 years, and minimize the need for future emergency repairs, which impact traffic operating conditions,” the NJDOT stated.

• See related article: New Jersey Has 596 Structurally Deficient Bridges, Report Says

NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said that the project will result in a “tremendous amount of pain for everyone who lives and travels in this corridor.” But she added that the construction is critically needed to avoid the potential for “unimaginable disruptions” if it becomes necessary to shut down Rt. 495 due to disrepair.

In the end, the 2.5 years of traffic woes will give way to a safer and more reliable transportation artery to and from New York, according to Gutierrez-Scaccetti.

The commissioner credited the 23-cent gas tax recently passed in New Jersey under the Chris Christie administration with securing the funds to make the repairs. Christie’s successor, Phil Murphy, has also said that the gas tax was necessary because it replenished the state's bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund, which funded projects that had stopped when the money ran dry.

• See related article: Murphy Signs 4 Bills Into Law, And Takes Position On Gas Tax
• See related article: Who Voted For New Jersey's 23-Cent Gas Tax Hike?

SO WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

According to the NJDOT, commuters should try several options in the first days and weeks of the closure to find the route or mode of travel that best meets their needs.

The NJDOT suggested:

“For those who live or work in Hudson County, one option is using the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to and from Hoboken or Jersey City where commuters can utilize PATH trains or ferry service to Manhattan, which helps reduce the number of cars heading toward the Tunnel. For commuters coming from Monmouth County, there is ferry service with capacity from Atlantic Highlands, Belford, and Highlands.”

• See related article: Gov. Phil Murphy Orders 'Full-Scale Audit' Of New Jersey Transit
• See related article: Should Taxpayers Subsidize Ferry Rides Across The Hudson River?

Other suggestions from the agency include:

• Switch to public transportation (Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, Ferries, PATH, NJ Transit train/bus)
• Join a carpool or vanpool
• Adjust travel times to leave before or after the peak morning and evening travel periods
• Telecommute or work at other sites that your employer may have available
• Use alternate crossings (George Washington Bridge, Holland Tunnel, Goethals Bridge across Staten Island to Battery Tunnel)

PROJECT DETAILS

The NJDOT provides the following details about the bridge on its website:

“Route 495 is a 3.45-mile-long, divided urban freeway in Hudson County that connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel. Route 495 is four lanes at its western limit where it meets the NJ Turnpike (I-95) at exit 16E. The freeway is mostly six lanes, with an eight-lane section across the Route 495 Viaduct. Route 495 traverses four municipalities in Hudson County. Beginning at the western terminus, Route 495 passes through Secaucus, North Bergen Township and Union City, ending in Weehawken Township. The Route 495 Viaduct is a nine span bridge that was constructed in 1938. The bridge carries traffic on Route 495 over the NYS&W and Conrail rail lines, as well as Route 1&9, Paterson Plank Road and Liberty Avenue in the Township of North Bergen, Hudson County.”

According to the NJDOT:

“The $90.3 million state-funded project began in September 2017 with local street improvements. Construction will be accomplished in 12 stages. The work in Stages 1 and 2, which was necessary before the lane closures could be implemented, has been taking place under the bridge and along the Paterson Plank Road – Union Turnpike corridor, which will handle the diverted traffic during bridge construction.

“The project will rehabilitate the nine-span viaduct including repairs and reconstruction of the concrete bridge deck, and the westbound exit ramps to Route 1&9 southbound and Paterson Plank Road northbound. The deck replacement will require multiple stages to maintain traffic while structural repairs are performed to replace and strengthen deteriorated structural steel, which will be painted to preserve the existing steel superstructure. Additional improvements, including new highway lighting, drainage, barriers, guiderail, attenuators, and paving will improve operations and safety in addition to extending the viaduct’s useful life.

“There are eight stages to the bridge deck portion of the project, which is expected to last for about two and a half years. The entire project is expected to be completed in summer 2021.

“Stage 3, the first of the eight bridge deck stages, began on Friday, August 10 by closing the access to Route 495 westbound from the 31st Street ramp. Traffic utilizing the 31stStreet ramp from Kennedy Boulevard is detoured to Paterson Plank Road. Closing this ramp removes approximately 1,200 vehicles from entering Route 495 westbound during the peak commuting times, which will allow traffic coming from the Lincoln Tunnel to flow better.”

EXCLUSIVE BUS LANE

The exclusive bus lane (XBL) is a contra-flow transit lane along Route 495 from the NJ Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel and is considered the “busiest and most productive bus lane in the nation,” the NJDOT stated.

According to the NJDOT:

"Each weekday, the XBL dedicates a westbound travel lane to eastbound buses during the morning commute from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Each day more than 1,850 buses carrying more 63,000 passengers travel from the North Bergen Park and Ride, west of Route 1&9, across Route 495 through the Lincoln Tunnel to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan."

The XBL lane will be maintained during all stages of construction, NJDOT spokespeople said.

NORTH BERGEN PARK AND RIDE LOT

According to the NJDOT:

“The North Bergen Park and Ride Lot is located beneath the Route 495 viaduct immediately west of Route 1&9. NJ Transit Bus Route 320 – Mill Creek, Harmon Meadow, New York, operates at the Park and Ride and travels to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, New York City. The lot has more than 1,500 parking spaces.”

The NJDOT added:

“The parking spaces that are located below the bridge will be lost temporarily during construction. Therefore, a new temporary parking area was built adjacent to the existing lot during construction that added a net gain of 136 spaces.”

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Images: NJDOT