COMMISSION PLANS LANE-CLOSURE MORATORIUM FOR JULY 4 WEEKEND ALONG I-78 WORK ZONE IN NEW JERSEY  Three Travel Lanes in Each Direction to Be Provided From Thursday Morning to Monday Afternoon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission today announced that a July 4 holiday weekend lane-closure moratorium will be in effect in the construction work zone on the agency's New Jersey stretch of I-78.

The self-imposed four-day moratorium is being put in place to ensure unimpeded traffic flow and minimize potential delays for holiday travelers.

The Commission's I-78 July 4 holiday weekend plan calls for three lanes of traffic to be open in both the eastbound and westbound directions throughout the holiday period. The lane-closure moratorium is to begin 6 a.m. Thursday, July 3, and remain in effect until 12 noon Monday, July 7.

A variety of lane closures and different traffic configurations have been put into effect since October 2007, when the Commission initiated an extensive roadway rehabilitation project along its 4.78 mile stretch of I-78 on the New Jersey, which carries traffic to and from the agency's toll bridge across the Delaware River. The project's primary focus is to fix roadway cracking and settlement due in part to the heavy truck traffic along the I-78 corridor.

The various lane closures and traffic configurations for the project will resume after the July 4 holiday lane-closure moratorium.

Motorists are reminded to use caution when traveling on I-78 during the ongoing rehabilitation project, particularly when new traffic patterns are put 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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