By: Richard L. Smith
Drivers on I-280 in Newark, Essex County, should expect lane closures as a bridge deck replacement project moves forward.
According to a statement released by NJDOT, the closures will affect both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-280 over 1st and Orange Streets during weeknights and will continue through next week.
Beginning tonight, Friday, October 4, at 9 p.m. and lasting until 10 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, October 5, the left lanes on I-280 in both directions will be closed between Exits 13 and 14.
These closures will also occur nightly from Monday, October 7, through Friday, October 11, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.
Despite the closures, at least one lane will remain open in both directions, and Exits 13 and 14 will not be affected. The lane closures are necessary to pour new concrete for the bridge deck.
The $31.7 million federally funded project aims to replace the bridge decks on the I-280 westbound viaduct, which spans the NJ TRANSIT tracks, Orange Street, and 1st Street.
The project will include replacing the decks, repairing the substructure, replacing bearings, repairing the structural steel, and repainting sections of the bridge.
The retaining wall on the ramp from 1st Street to I-280 westbound will also be replaced, allowing three through lanes beyond the bridge.
Two new overhead sign structures will be installed as part of the project, designed to minimize motorists' disruptions by advancing in stages. 
Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2025, with Variable Message Signs providing motorists with advance notice of traffic pattern changes.
The exact timing of the work may change depending on weather or other factors.