Bridge reconstruction over Route 78 in Bernards begins this week. Here's what to expect
BERNARDS – The reconstruction of the Somerville Road bridge over Interstate 78 is beginning this week.
The $6.2 million federally funded project will replace the bridge deck. The project will also include rockfall mitigation on I-78 and utility relocation on Somerville Road.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in summer 2024.
The bridge, built in 1968 and 2.4 miles east of I-287, is classified by the National Bridge Inventory as structurally deficient with the deck in poor condition.
The right shoulder of eastbound I-78 before the overpass will be closed 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day through Wednesday.
On Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the right lane and shoulder are scheduled to be closed for the installation of a construction barrier to create a work zone in the right shoulder for rockfall mitigation work in advance of the bridge deck replacement.
If necessary, the right lane will be closed on Friday.
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Somerset County is also in the preliminary engineering phase of designing a roundabout for intersection of Somerville Road and Allen Road north of I-78.
According to the county, there were 14 crashes at the four-way stop intersection between 2016 and 2019. Somerville Road has an average daily traffic count of 5,150 vehicles while Allen Road has an average daily count of 6,511 vehicles.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, conversion of an intersection into a roundabout results in an 82% reduction in severe crashes.
The county estimates that the roundabout construction could begin in 2025.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ traffic: Route 78 bridge in Bernards reconstruction starts
