New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced a traffic shift of I-280 eastbound, and the closure of Martin Luther King Boulevard this weekend for bridge replacement work as the I-280 and Route 21 Interchange Improvements Project advances in Newark, Essex County.
Starting at 10 p.m., Friday, Aug. 5, until 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 8, NJDOT’s contractor, George Harms Construction Co., Inc., is scheduled to shift traffic from I-280 eastbound to I-280 westbound for the demolition and replacement of the existing I-280 eastbound bridge over Martin Luther King Boulevard in Newark. I-280 traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction over the I-280 westbound bridge, resulting in a wide-load restriction. In addition, the Exit 14 ramp from I-280 eastbound to Martin Luther King Boulevard will be closed during construction.
Martin Luther King Boulevard from State St. to Orange St. will be closed and detoured to accommodate bridge construction activities. A pedestrian detour also will be in place. The following detour will be in place for motorists:
From Martin Luther King Boulevard and State St.:
• Motorists from MLK Boulevard/State St. will travel along State St. and make a right onto University Ave.
• From University Ave., motorists will make a right on to Orange St.
• Continue along Orange St. to MLK Boulevard
• Motorists wishing to access I-280 can continue west along Orange St. to the First St. entrance
From Martin Luther King Boulevard and Orange St.:
• Motorists from MLK Boulevard/Orange St. will travel along Orange St. and make a right onto Clifton Ave.
• From Clifton Ave., motorists will make a right on to Seventh Ave.
• Continue along Seventh Ave. to MLK Boulevard.
• Motorists wishing to access I-280 can continue west along Orange St. to the First St. entrance.
Traffic will be shifted back onto the newly reconstructed eastbound bridge by 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 8. In July, a similar weekend closure was implemented to successfully demolish and replace the westbound bridge.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow them on Twitter @NJDOT_info.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.