Route 5 westbound daily closures announced
in Edgewater
Construction operations advance on project to prevent falling rocks
(Trenton) - NJDOT officials today announced that daily closures of Route 5 westbound will resume next week in Edgewater and Fort Lee, Bergen County. The daily closures are necessary as the latter stages of construction advance on a $3.8 million project to prevent rocks and other debris from falling on a 0.3 mile stretch of the highway.
Beginning on Tuesday, May 1, NJDOT’s contractor, Merco Inc., will close and detour Route 5 westbound to all traffic Monday thru Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., for construction activities. No closures are planned on weekends.
• Motorists headed for Route 5 westbound during these hours will be detoured to CR 505 (River Road) north to Bruce Reynolds Boulevard west in Fort Lee to Martha Washington Way south to Route 67 (Palisades Avenue) south to the convergence with Route 5.
All westbound large-truck traffic has been detoured since the start of construction and similar closures were necessary for all traffic along Route 5 westbound at the onset of construction in late-summer 2011. Route 5 eastbound traffic will be maintained. The daily westbound closures are expected to continue for approximately three months, until the project reaches substantial completion at the end of July.
The westbound side of Route 5, near its eastern terminus, is bordered by a steep rock cliff. The existing roadside rock outcrops consist of loose rock that has the potential to fall onto the Route 5 mainline roadway. Stabilization measures, including scaling of loose rock, installation of shotcrete mortar, wire netting, and rock dowels and the removal of vegetation, will help stabilize the rock slope and lessen the potential hazards of falling rock.
Variable Message Signs will be used to inform motorists of traffic pattern changes during construction. NJDOT provides emergency roadway information, construction schedule updates and real time traffic information and images at www.511nj.org
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