New Great Notch Road and ramps to Route 46 westbound to reopen this week as the Route 3/Route 46 interchange improvement project advances

New traffic patterns in place near Valley Road

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the partial opening of the new Great Notch Road and the opening of two new ramps to and from Route 46 westbound that will replace two existing ramps to and from the highway that will be permanently closed as the Route 3/Route 46 interchange improvement project Contract A nears completion in Passaic County.

Beginning at 9 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, August 27, NJDOT’s contractor J.F. Creamer & Sanzari, will close the right lane of Route 46 westbound just past where Route 3 westbound traffic mergers onto Route 46 through the Clove Road overpass.  By 7 a.m. the following day, Wednesday, August 28, the existing ramps to and from Route 46 westbound and Valley Road will be permanently closed, and new ramps will be opened to improve the flow of traffic.

The new Great Notch Road will be open to two-way traffic between Valley Road and a newly constructed ramp towards Route 46 westbound just west of the Great Notch Inn.  The following new traffic patterns will be in effect:

New Traffic Patterns near Valley Road

Valley Road southbound to Route 46 westbound

• Motorists wishing to travel from Valley Road southbound to Route 46 westbound should turn right onto the ramp towards Great Notch Road
• Turn left on the new exit towards Route 46 westbound (just west of the Great Notch Inn)

Valley Road northbound to Route 46 westbound

• Motorists wishing to travel from Valley Road northbound to Route 46 westbound should turn left at the new intersection with a traffic signal onto Great Notch Road
• Turn left on the new exit towards Route 46 westbound (just west of the Great Notch Inn)

Route 46 westbound to Valley Road northbound or southbound

• Motorists wishing to travel from Route 46 westbound to Valley Road should turn right onto the new ramp to Great Notch Road
• Keep right at the fork to continue onto Great Notch Road eastbound towards the intersection with a traffic signal at Valley Road

Last Friday, the exit ramp from Route 46 westbound to Notch Road and the ramp from Notch Road to Route 46 westbound were permanently closed with temporary detours while construction on Great Notch Road is being completed.

The $40.8 million federally-funded Contract A portion of the Route 3, Route 46, Valley Road and Notch/Rifle Camp Road Interchange Improvements project, which started construction in January 2016, includes the construction of a new two-way service road (Great Notch Road), three signalized intersections, and two single-lane roundabouts parallel to Route 46 westbound to remove local traffic from the state highway.  The western portion of Great Notch Road, the planned roundabout intersection of Great Notch Road, Notch Road, Lackawanna Avenue and Rifle Camp Road and the roundabout intersection of Clove Road are anticipated to be complete by fall 2019.

Variable message signs are being utilized throughout the project limits to provide advance notification to motorists of all traffic pattern changes associated with the interchange improvements project. Throughout the project, NJDOT will provide information on upcoming road or ramp closures.

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 us on Twitter @NJDOT_info or on the NJDOT Facebook page.

Please note, the NJDOT Communications Office has a new phone number – 609-963-1975.