I-287 Improvement Project to Begin Tuesday

Morristown residents heading south for work might want to start rethinking their daily commutes. 

The New Jersey Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin construction Tuesday, Sept. 21, on a $17.7 million project that will take nearly two years to improve more than seven miles of Interstate 287 through areas of Somerset County, ending in Bridgewater.

According to Timothy Greeley, spokesman for the NJDOT, the project will include the repairing and resurfacing of four individual bridge decks on I-287 over Route 22 in both directions, while also installing new equipment such as traffic cameras within the project limits.

"I-287 is a high-volume commerce corridor used by tens of thousands of motorists every day," Transportation Commissioner James Simpson said in a statement about the project. "Because this roadway helps drive the economy of New Jersey, this rehabilitation project is a wise investment."

The NJDOT was preparing to begin construction and installation of advance warning signs Tuesday. The major roadway work will begin with single- and double-lane closures throughout the area.

The plan, Greeley said, is for a work zone travel system to be installed along the project route, monitoring traffic and relaying travel time data. He said it will alert drivers of the projected times to travel through the construction zone.

Greeley said the contract for construction was awarded to Intercounty Paving Associates, LLC. on Aug. 5. The work being done, he said, is expected to extend the lifespan of the roadway by more than 15 years, and the bridge decks by 50 years.

The entire job, Greeley said, is expected to be done by summer 2012.

Throughout the construction, road closures have been set between various mileposts on all sides of I-287.

On the northbound side, single lane closures will occur on I-287 between milepost 12.9 and 19 from Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day; Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day; Saturday from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day; and Sunday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

There will also be double-lane closures on the northbound side between the same mileposts from Monday to Thursday, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day; Friday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day; Saturday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day; and Sunday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

On the southbound side of the highway, single-lane closures will occur from Monday to Thursday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day; Friday from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day; Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day and Sunday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

Double-lane closures will be held from Monday to Thursday from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day; Friday from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day; Saturday from 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. the next day; and Sunday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

In both directions, single-lane closures will be allowed between mileposts 19 and 20.5 from Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day; Friday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day; Saturday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day and Sunday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day. In addition, full ramp closures will be allowed every night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.