Route 3 Bridge Improvement Work Set To Begin

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Work designed to improve safety and relieve congestion on two Route 3 bridges is set to begin tonight, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) announced.

The project will replace the Ridge Road and Orient Way bridges over Route 3 with longer, wider bridges.

New right shoulders will be added to both bridges.

The left lane on both sides of Route 3 will be closed and at least three lanes will be kept open during construction. The project was originally scheduled to begin in February, but it was pushed back.

The bridges, while safe to use, are classified as "structurally deficient" and no longer meet the current federal requirements for a new bridge.

The federally-funded, $26.7 million project will be done in five stages, which include improving medians and adding traffic signals at the Polito and Rutherford avenue intersections.

The state DOT will provide additional information regarding any road closures and detours that are put in place during the project.

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Photo by Eric Buermeyer, via Shutterstock.com