NJ Home   Services A to Z   Departments/Agencies FAQs
Great Seal of the State of New Jersey
NJDOT Site Index  |  Search: NJ Home   NJDOT
Disclaimer  
Great Seal of the State of New Jersey

route 17/essex street interchange improvements graphic

Stages

The project was designed to be constructed in six main stages. The contractor intermixed the staging where needed to accomodate utility relocations and maintain an accelerated schedule. Due to the success of the contractor the Essex Street bridge was demolished, replaced and re-opened to traffic in only about six months. The contractor is presently performing only minor work that still remains, mostly within private properties.

The following outlines the construction staging and detours as designed, and provides links to plans illustrating each of the construction stages and the various detour routes that were implemented:

Stage 1A (pdf 1.5m)

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will construct the proposed Route 17 drainage improvements at the south end of the project and reconstruct Gregg Street adjacent to Route 17 southbound.

NJDOT will widen Route 17 southbound from the southerly project limit the railroad to north of I-80. NJDOT will start construction of the new Route 17 southbound ramp system and perform construction along portions of the Route 17 median.

NJDOT will extend the existing box culvert carrying Lodi Brook under Route 17 on the west (southbound) side and integrate it into adjacent culverts to form a culvert system.

NJDOT will widen Essex Street on the south (eastbound) side from west of the Essex Street Culvert at Lodi Brook to Riverview Avenue (I-80 connection). NJDOT will build a new Municipal Parking Lot, a new replacement traffic signal at Riverview Avenue and a traffic signal at the terminus of the new southbound ramps.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will remediate contaminated soils associated with the Maywood Superfund Site within commercial properties in the northwest quadrant of the interchange.

Stage 1B (pdf 1m)

NJDOT will continue construction of the new Route 17 southbound ramp system and complete the new exit Ramp 50. NJDOT will widen Route 17 southbound from the vicinity of the new ramps to the northern project limit at Becker Avenue.

NJDOT will widen Route 17 northbound from the southern project limit at the railroad to the existing exit ramp area. NJDOT will start construction of the new Route 17 northbound exit ramp, the adjacent retaining wall and the Route 17 northbound and temporary entrance ramp diversionary roads.

NJDOT will widen Essex Street on the north, or westbound, side from west of the Essex Street Culvert at Lodi Brook to Riverview Avenue at the I-80 connection.

Minor lane shifts and/or nighttime off-peak lane closures may be necessary during this work stage.

The USACE will continue remediation of contaminated soils associated with the Maywood Superfund Site within commercial properties in the northwest quadrant of the interchange.

Stages 2A, 2B and 2C (pdf 1m)

The newly constructed Route 17 southbound exit ramp (ramp 50) will be opened to traffic and the existing ramp closed. The ramp from Essex Street westbound to Route 17 southbound will be closed and detoured (pdf 295k).

Construction of the remaining portion of the new Route 17 southbound entrance ramp (ramp 40) will be completed. Construction will also be performed within an adjacent commercial property. Route 17 southbound will be widened in the vicinity of the new ramps.

Construction of the new Route 17 northbound exit ramp (ramp 10) and adjacent retaining wall will be completed.

Essex Street will be widened from the easterly project limit to Maywood Avenue, including construction of a new replacement traffic signal at Maywood Avenue. Maywood Avenue will be widened from Essex Street to Demarest Place, which will require Maywood Avenue to be closed and detoured (pdf 293k) for approximately two days.

The USACE will continue remediation of contaminated soils associated with the Maywood Superfund Site within commercial properties in the northwest quadrant of the interchange.

Minor lane shifts and/or nighttime off-peak lane closures may be necessary during this work stage. Route 17 northbound deceleration lane for Essex Street exit ramp will be closed. Essex Street in the vicinity of Maywood Avenue will experience lane closures in Stages 2A and 2C (one lane will remain open in each direction).

Stage 3A (pdf 1.12m)

The newly constructed Route 17 southbound entrance and exit ramps (ramps 40 and 50) and the newly constructed Route 17 northbound exit ramp (ramp 10) will be opened to traffic and the corresponding existing ramps closed. These three new ramps will be open throughout the remainder of construction.

The existing Route 17 northbound entrance ramp will be closed and detoured (pdf 296k). Temporary traffic signals will be provided along the detour where Route 17 ramps intersect Passaic Street. These temporary traffic signals will remain operational through Stage 5B.

Construction of Route 17 northbound temporary diversionary road (Diversionary Road 200) and temporary ramp connection (Diversionary Road 21) will continue, and construction of the southbound temporary diversionary road (Diversionary Road 100) will start while Essex Street remains open to traffic across the bridge.

Stage 3B (pdf 1.12m)

The ramp from Essex Street to Route 17 northbound remains closed and detoured (pdf 296k).

The Essex Street Bridge will be closed and Essex Street will be closed between Maywood Avenue and the newly constructed southbound ramps and detoured:

Construction of Route 17 temporary Diversionary Road 100 (southbound) and Diversionary Road 200 (northbound) will be completed, along with the temporary ramp connection, Diversionary Road 21, from Essex Street westbound to Route 17 northbound.

The USACE and the NJDOT contractor will commence with the multi-phased remediation/construction sequence required to replace the Lodi Brook Culvert under Essex Street, which lies in contaminated soils associated with the Maywood Superfund Site.

Stage 4 (pdf 975k)

Essex Street will remain closed between Maywood Avenue and the newly constructed southbound ramps and detoured:

The previous stage detours will still be in effect, however, the detour for Essex Street westbound and from Essex Street westbound to Route 17 southbound from Stage 3B will be terminated and replaced by new detours:

The temporary ramp connection, Diversionary Road 21, from Essex Street westbound to Route 17 southbound is open to traffic and will remain operational through Stage 5A.

Route 17 traffic will be redirected away from the bridge to the newly constructed Diversionary Road 100 and Diversionary Road 200, which will provide an unobstructed work area around the bridge.

The existing bridge will be demolished and construction of the new bridge will be started and advance to a minimum of placing the steel girders and framework for the bridge deck.

Route 17 will be reconstructed and/or widened in the vicinity of the bridge, and portions of the median will be constructed.

The USACE and the NJDOT contractor will complete the multi-phased remediation/construction sequence required to replace the Lodi Brook Culvert under Essex Street, which lies in contaminated soils associated with the Maywood Superfund Site.

Essex Street will be widened in the vicinity of the Lodi Brook Culvert and construction will be performed in adjacent commercial properties.

Minor lane shifts and/or nighttime off-peak lane closures may be necessary during this work stage.

Stage 5A (pdf 1.03m)

Essex Street will remain closed between Maywood Avenue and the newly constructed southbound ramps and detoured:

Route 17 traffic will be returned to its original alignment, traveling underneath the yet to completed new Essex Street Bridge. The Route 17 Diversionary Road 100 will be closed and removed. The northerly portion of the northbound Diversion Road 200 will remain open to traffic, functioning as a temporary entrance ramp to Route 17 northbound from Essex Street westbound, via Diversionary Road 21.

Construction of the new Essex Street Bridge will continue, consisting primarily of work on the superstructure (bridge deck, sidewalks, parapets, fencing). Essex Street will be reconstructed along the west side approaching the bridge, including a new traffic signal at the intersecting driveways just west of the bridge. Construction will also be performed on adjacent commercial properties.

Route 17 southbound will be widened from north of Essex Street to the vicinity of the new entrance ramp, which also includes a retaining wall.

Route 17 northbound will be widened in the vicinity of the new ramps. Construction of the new northbound entrance ramp will started.

Minor lane shifts and/or nighttime off-peak lane closures may be necessary during this work stage.

Stage 5B (pdf 1.03m)

Essex Street will remain closed between Maywood Avenue and the newly constructed southbound ramps and detoured:

Diversionary Raods 21 and 200 are closed and removed. As a result, these detours will be reinstated (from Stage 3B):

Construction will be completed on the remaining portion of the new Route 17 northbound entrance ramp. The estimated duration for this construction is one week at which time the ramp will be opened to traffic and the detour removed.

Construction along the Essex Street west approach to the bridge will be started and completed. This work includes construction of the easterly end of the bridge's southeast wingwall, which will be accessible after traffic is removed from Diversionary Road 200.

The Route 17 and Essex Street construction started in Stage 5A will be completed in Stage 5B.

Minor lane shifts and/or nighttime off-peak lane closures may be necessary during this work stage.

Stage 6 (pdf 934k)

The new Essex Street Bridge will be opened to traffic in both directions on July 1, 2008 and all detours removed.

The final phases of the bridge construction (sidewalks, parapets and fencing) will be completed and it will not be feasible to open all proposed lanes (four-thru and two-turning lanes) to traffic across the bridge at this time.

Route 17 southbound will be widened from north of I-80 to south of Essex Street.

Route 17 northbound will be widened from north of the bridge to the northerly project limit (near Lodi Brook).

Minor lane shifts and/or nighttime off-peak lane closures may be necessary during this work stage.

 
Go to NJDOT home page Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement  Go to State of New Jersey home page
  department: home | about | NJ commuter | in the works | business | engineering | freight, air & water | capital | community | data | links | index
  statewide: NJ Home | about NJ | business | government | state services A to Z | departments

  Copyright © State of New Jersey, 2002-2020
  Department of Transportation
  P.O. Box 600
  Trenton, NJ 08625-0600
OPRA - open public records act

  Last Updated:  October 31, 2008