On August 17, a repair project was started on the Lincoln Tunnel that closes one lane in each direction on the already-congested Route 495 viaduct, which connects the New Jersey Turnpike to the tunnel. The repairs, expected to last more than two years, include shoring up the bridge and replacing the roadway deck.
Already one of the worst bottlenecks on the East Coast, the Lincoln Tunnel is sure to be more challenging with fewer lanes 24 hours a day.
More than 150,000 motorists drive over the crumbling, 80-year-old span daily. Considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete, the $90 million project is expected to extend the bridge’s life by 75 years.
New Jersey’s Department of Transportation has said it expects “severe congestion” during the bridge work and is urging commuters to travel at off-peak times if possible, as well as considering public transportation. A series of detours have been set up for vehicles that need to exit off Route 495 to Routes 1&9 north and south. Those detours, and the anticipated migration of cars seeking shortcuts, is expected to increase traffic in the cramped side streets of towns along 495, including Union City, Weehawken and Secaucus.
Source: Daily News
