The work is part of a $7.6 million federally-funded project to replace two structurally-deficient bridge decks.
TRENTON -- Portions of Route 1 and Business Route 1 will close next week for road and bridge projects, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) announced.
Starting Monday, March 20, the exit from Route 1 north to Business Route 1 will be closed for three straight overnights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning.
The exit takes motorists along Strawberry Street in Trenton before joining up with the Brunswick Circle, and Business Route 1, and Route 206.
NJDOT's contractor South State, Inc. is closing the ramp to remove the existing median barrier in preparation for upcoming bridge deck replacement work.
The following detours will be in place during the overnight closures:
* Vehicles on Route 1 northbound will need to stay right immediately following the exit.
* From Route 1 North, motorists will be directed to take the next exit onto Whitehead Road
* At the fork on Whitehead Road, make a left and continue until the Route 1 Business/Brunswick Avenue intersection
* Make a left onto Route 1 Business southbound/Brunswick Avenue and follow to the Brunswick Avenue Circle.
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The second closure starts on Wednesday, March 22, and will shut a portion of Route 1 south, south of the Whitehead Road exit in Lawrence, for three consecutive overnights, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Work crews will remove existing steel plates on the highway in preparation for the upcoming bridge deck replacement work.
The following detours will be in place for that closure:
* Route 1 southbound motorists will be directed to exit onto Whitehead Road.
* From Whitehead Road, motorists will make a left at the fork and continue to the Route 1 Business traffic light intersection.
* At that intersection, make a left onto Route 1 Business southbound and continue on Route 1 Business southbound/Brunswick Avenue until the Brunswick Avenue Circle
* Motorists will then take the Strawberry Street exit on the circle to continue back onto Route 1 southbound
For motorists approaching Route 1 from Whitehead Road:
* Drivers will be directed to take Route 1 northbound, make a u-turn at Bakers Basin Road onto Route 1 southbound and follow the Route 1 southbound full closure detour listed above.
The work is part of a $7.6 million federally-funded project to replace two structurally-deficient bridge decks - the Route 1 Business ramp bridge over New York Avenue, and the Route 1 Business over Route 1 southbound/Delaware & Raritan Canal, the DOT said.
The bridges are getting new pour-in-place concrete decks, parapets, guiderails and lighting, the DOT said. The project is being done in stages with the most occurring overnight or on weekends to minimize impacts to drivers and is expected to be completed by summer 2018.
The work is separate from the ongoing project to make a one-mile stretch of Business Route 1 from the Brunswick Circle to Lake Drive more pedestrian friendly with a host of improvements.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.