NJDOT opens new Seventh Street bridge over NJ TRANSIT in Newark

(Trenton) - The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) today announced that the newly reconstructed Seventh Street bridge in Newark will be reopened to traffic tonight.

NJDOT has completed the full replacement of the bridge superstructure and deck.

The opening of this bridge demonstrates further progress on a project to replace the Third Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Seventh Street and Roseville Avenue bridge decks over NJ TRANSIT’s Morris & Essex Line in Newark.

NJDOT began construction in October 2007 and has since completed the replacement of the Third, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Street bridges. NJDOT is replacing each bridge individually. The Sixth Street bridge was reopened last month.

NJDOT closed Roseville Avenue to all traffic between Orange Street and 7th Avenue in late-August, affecting overnight train and bus service at Roseville Avenue. NJ TRANSIT bus Route 96 is being detoured around the area.

The following detours remain in effect during the Roseville Avenue closure:

• Northbound traffic will take Orange Street westbound to Bathgate Place northbound to 7th Avenue to Roseville Avenue.

• Southbound traffic will take 7th Avenue eastbound to Sixth Street southbound to Orange Street to Roseville Avenue.

The $13.5 million project includes drainage improvements; resurfacing; and sidewalk and curb installation on the approaches to the Third Street, Fifth Street, Sixth Street, Seventh Street and Roseville Avenue bridges. In addition, NJDOT is improving traffic signals at the bridge approaches and at the intersections of Roseville Avenue and Orange Street, Roseville Avenue and Seventh Avenue and Orange Street and Sixth Avenue.

The entire project is scheduled to be completed in fall 2011.

Construction information and real-time traffic updates are available at www.511nj.org