METUCHEN — The Route 27 bridge over the Conrail tracks will remain closed to traffic at least through October, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The closure, which began Monday, is a safety precaution as work progresses on the replacement of the existing, structurally deficient bridge.
The DOT is employing variable message signs on Route 27 and Route 1 in both directions to alert motorists of the bridge closure and detours. The following detours are in place:
For truck traffic:
• Route 27 northbound trucks will take I- 287 south to Route 1 north to Route 35 north to Route 27.
• Route 27 southbound trucks will take Route 35 south to Route 1 south to I-287 north to Route 27.
For all other vehicles:
• Route 27 northbound vehicles will take Amboy Avenue to Route 1 north to Parsonage Road to Route 27.
• Route 27 southbound vehicles will take Parsonage Road to Route 1 south to Amboy Avenue to Route 27.
The bridge is being closed due to deterioration in a section of a bridge abutment that has yet to be replaced. The DOT had planned to rebuild the bridge in a manner that would minimize the impact to motorists by keeping Route 27 open to traffic during construction, but daily monitoring of the structure led to the change of plans.
The project began in August 2008 and is being constructed in three stages. The eastern third of the bridge was rebuilt last fall. The second stage of construction, on the western side of the bridge, is currently under way. The center portion of the bridge will be rebuilt during the last stage of construction.
Fully closing the bridge to traffic will allow the contractor to accelerate the reconstruction, the DOT said. The new bridge is scheduled to open in October, about nine months earlier than the original scheduled completion. Once completed, the new $9 million Route 27 bridge will accommodate single 12-foot-wide lanes, 10-foot-wide shoulders and 10-foot-wide sidewalks in each direction.
Motorists are encouraged to check the DOT’s traffic information website, www.511nj.org, for real-time travel information.