Rt. 3 Lane Closures POSTPONED

SECAUCUS, NJ — The state DOT announced Friday, Feb. 9 this work will be postponed: There was an unforeseen equipment problem critical to the traffic control management related to the lane closure.NJDOT will provide information when the start date is rescheduled. There will be no lane closures on Route 3 at this time.

Attention, Secaucus residents: Starting this Friday night, Feb. 9 an ongoing construction project will begin on Rt. 3. It will last until 2020 and will result in both left lanes being shut down on Rt. 3, making an already congested roadway even more backed up — especially during rush hour.

The first stage is expected to begin Friday, Feb. 9, at 10 p.m., with the closure of the left lane on Rt. 3 in both directions to set up a work zone, the NJ DOT announced. The left lane in each direction on Rt. 3 will be closed between approximately Park Avenue and Rt. 17 beginning Friday night and stay closed for the duration of the project.

From the NJ DOT: The single left lane in each direction will be closed starting Feb. 9 and remain closed until the project is complete in 2020. It will reopen when the project is complete. Route 3 has four lanes in each direction between Park Ave and Route 17. The left lane in each direction will be closed, leaving three lanes in each direction open throughout construction.

All other lanes will be open.

"The New Jersey Department of Transportation is set to begin a $26.7 million safety improvement and congestion relief project to replace the Ridge Road and Orient Way bridges over Route 3, and add full-width shoulders on Route 3,” the DOT announced.

What improvements are they making?

When it's completed, there will be a full-width right shoulder on Rt. 3 in both directions.

At the request of Rutherford and Lyndhurst officials, a new sidewalk is being built along the north side of Rutherford Avenue from Orient Way past the Renaissance Hotel to Polito Avenue.

The Rt. 3 median will be improved, there will be drainage repairs to get rid of water and snow and upgrades at the Polito Road intersection, including traffic signal improvements, the DOT said.

The federally funded $26.7 million project has been designed to be constructed in five stages – the first
two stages include work in the Route 3 median improving both bridges piers; drainage improvements;
utility relocation; and upgrades at the Polito Avenue and Rutherford Avenue intersection including traffic
signal improvements and ADA compliant sidewalk ramps. Stage 3 is the reconstruction of the Ridge Road
Bridge, Stage 4 is the reconstruction of the Orient Way Bridge, and Stage 5 will remove the existing
bridge abutments from both bridges and provide a continuous full width right shoulder on Route 3 in both
directions.

Later this year, probably in fall 2018, the Ridge Road bridge connecting Lyndhurst to Rutherford will be shut down for repairs.

If you want to learn more, a public Q&A session hosted by the state about the project will be held at Rutherford Borough Hall on Park Avenue on Monday, Feb. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Photo of Rt. 3 from the Secaucus overpass by Carly Baldwin/Patch