COMMISSION COMPLETES FIRST TWO RAMP REHABILITATIONS AT I-78's STILL VALLEY INTERCHANGE IN NEW JERSEY
New Traffic Patterns for Ongoing I-78 Work Put in Place; Motorists Urged to Use Caution

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission announced today that it has completed construction work on an exit ramp and an entrance ramp at I-78 Interchange #3 (Still Valley) in New Jersey, eliminating the detours that had been in effect at the location for the past four weeks.

Traffic is once again moving - on smoother pavements - on the two ramps: one that carries traffic from I-78 east to Route 22 west and Route 173, and the other that enables traffic from Route 22 east to enter onto I-78 west.

The ramp rehabilitations were part of the Commission's ongoing rehabilitation of 4.75 miles of I-78 in New Jersey. The project's primary focus is to fix cracking and settlement of the roadway due to heavy truck traffic along the I-78 corridor.

A third ramp at the interchange also is slated to undergo repaving and repairs during an upcoming weekend. The specific weekend to conduct this work has yet to be identified, although it is a certainty that it will be after the busy July 4^th weekend.

While the most significant ramp closures at Interchange #3 are over, motorists should continue to anticipate lane closures and shifting traffic patterns in the work zone, which stretches from the eastern end of the I-78 Toll Bridge on the Delaware River to the Still Valley Interchange in New Jersey.

The latest traffic configurations in the work zone are as follows:

• Travel on I-78 is restricted to two lanes in both directions near the toll bridge for approximately one mile in length, with the two lanes both shifted and reduced in width to 11 feet. This pattern is to remain in effect until early next week.

• In the vicinity of Interchange #3 (Still Valley), there is a lane shift in place in both directions shifting all3 lanes of traffic to the left.

• Other restrictions are in place at various times of the day and various days of the week, but at least 2 lanes of travel during peak periods are still maintained.

Motorists are reminded to use caution when traveling on I-78 during the ongoing rehabilitation project, particularly with the new traffic patterns going into place. Motorists also are reminded that the speed limit on I-78 in the construction zone -- stretching from Interchange #3 to just east of the I-78 bridge toll plaza in Pennsylvania -- has been reduced from 65 mph to 50 mph for the safety of drivers and construction crews. The New Jersey and Pennsylvania State Police are aggressively enforcing the posted speed limit and fines will be doubled for violations within the work zone.

The I-78 rehabilitation project is part of the Commission's capital improvement program for system preservation, management, security and enhancement. Rehabilitation of an additional 2.25 miles of I-78 within the Commission's jurisdiction on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River will take part under a separate project that will include the implementation of open road tolling lanes.

The I-78 Toll Bridge carries traffic over the Delaware River between Northampton County, Pennsylvania and Warren County, New Jersey. It was opened to traffic on November 21, 1989 and is a twin, four girder, seven-span continuous structure with an overall length of 1,222 feet. It is supported on hammerhead reinforced concrete piers and reinforced concrete abutments.

The Commission jurisdiction extends approximately 2.2 miles west at the Pennsylvania approach, including an interchange at Morgan Hill Road, with grade separation structures at Cedarville Road and Route 611. The New Jersey approach extends approximately 4.7 miles to the east from the main river bridge, including grade separation bridges at Carpentersville Road, County Route 519 and Edge Road. The one-way toll plaza, located on the bridge's Pennsylvania side, has seven toll lanes. A rest area and welcome center for westbound motorists is adjacent to the toll plaza.

About the Commission

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission was formed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey in 1934. It operates seven toll bridges and 13 toll-supported bridges, two of which are pedestrian-only spans. The Commission's jurisdiction extends along the Delaware River from the Philadelphia-Bucks County line north to the New Jersey/New York border. Its bridges carry more than 135 million cars and trucks each year. For more information about the Commission and its various initiatives to deliver safer and more convenient bridge travel for its customers, please see: www.drjtbc.org.

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