Route 78 in Hunterdon to close briefly Thursday for rockfall project
BETHLEHEM – Interstate 78 will be closed in both directions for about 15 minutes Thursday morning for a rock blasting test.
The highway is scheduled to be closed at 11 a.m., the state Department of Transportation announced.
The blasting test is part of a $29.8 project to mitigate rockfall hazards on the highway on Jugtown Mountain west of Exit 11 (Route 173/West Portal/Pattenberg). The project is anticipated to be finished by fall 2023.
In upcoming weeks, there will be lane closures on eastbound I-78 to shift traffic toward the median to create a work zone along the right shoulder.
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The shoulder was closed earlier this month and will remain closed through the autumn when it will be reopened when the project goes on winter hiatus.
Once work is done on the eastbound lanes, the project will move to the westbound lanes.
The project includes cutting back the slope and excavation to widen the catch area to prevent rocks from potentially reaching the highway. There will also be drainage improvements.
The contractor is Ferreira Construction of Branchburg.
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 today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Route 78 in Hunterdon to closed Thursday for rockfall blast
