Permanent repairs to Route 139 west damaged in fire begin in Jersey City
Crews will work 24/7 to replace damaged beams and bridge deck
(Trenton) -New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced the start of permanent repairs to section of Route 139 westbound that was damaged recently by a fire in Jersey City.
A fire on September 29 underneath the ramp for Route 139 westbound near Coles Street in Jersey City caused substantial structural damage to six longitudinal beams and the underside of the bridge deck, which is made up of steel and concrete. NJDOT and contractor crews completed emergency repairs and were able to have four lanes of traffic open by October 2. Since that time a team of structural engineers conducted in-depth inspections and assessments and completed the permanent repair design.
The permanent repairs will require the complete reconstruction of the portion of the structure damaged by the fire, which includes replacing nearly all of the beams under three spans of the bridge deck from the left shoulder through the second lane, as well as replacing the bridge deck in that section. The permanent repair work will not require any additional lane closures and is expected to be completed in December.
NJDOT and contractor crews will work 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week until the repairs are complete. Demolition work began on Saturday, October 21.
Route 139 eastbound toward downtown Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel is not affected.
NJDOT, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, NJ Transit, regional transportation agencies and local officials are working together mitigate congestion and to provide advance notification to motorists of all traffic pattern changes associated with the emergency repairs.
Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT's traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news follow us on Twitter @NJDOT_info
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