Routes 440 and 287 to be rehabbed in county Route 440 southbound to be repaved; 287 needs complete overhaul BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer MIDDLESEX COUNTY - Construc-tion has started on the New Jersey Department of Transportation [NJDOT] I-287 rehabilitation project and the Route 440 Southbound resurfacing project. "These are two separate projects, but it will look like one project," said Scott Thorn, project manager for the Route 440 southbound resurfacing project. The $6 million project is located in the townships of Edison and Woodbridge and in the City of Perth Amboy. "The reason why only the southbound lane was chosen to be resurfaced was simply because the NJDOT saw a higher need for the southbound lane to be done," said Thorn. The NJDOT said the existing roadway exhibits high-severity block and longitudinal cracking and moderate- to high-severity fatigue cracking and patching. Thorn added that the roads are in much need of repair, since they have not been paved since installation in the 1950s. "There have been patches done to potholes, but that's about it," said Thorn. The existing Route 440 consists of 9-inch-thick reinforced concrete slab. The project is a pavement preservation project focused on extending the pavement life and improving serviceability. The project would extend the life of the roadway surface by 12 to 15 years and increase skid-resistance. The resurfacing will consist of a 2-inch overlay of the existing concrete slabs, and milling and paving of the existing bituminous shoulders. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the vertical clearances under the numerous overpasses must be maintained. "In order to accomplish this and provide an improved riding surface, the existing concrete slabs will be diamond grinded under the structures," said Thorn. The Central Region Design & Survey, NJDOT's in-house staff, designed the Route 440 project, and the contract was awarded to Joseph Defino Trucking Co., of Cliffwood Beach, on May 24 for $4,962,402.70. Thorn said construction would be substantially complete by Nov. 9, with final completion scheduled for Jan. 8, 2008. The I-287 project starts from the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison Township to Exit 5 (Stelton Road) in South Plainfield Borough. The $40 million project is expected to be completed by November 2008. The section of I-287 is a heavily traveled Interstate through Middlesex County that includes interchanges with Route 27, Route 1, and the New Jersey Turnpike. On an average day, 150,000 vehicles travel this stretch of I-287. "The existing roadway and bridges are seriously deteriorated and in need of a complete rehabilitation," said Ed Scott, project manager for the I-287 project. The contractor hired is TarHeel Enterprises of Morgan. The major goals of the rehabilitation project are to rehabilitate the I-287 mainline full-depth pavement replacement and asphalt overlay, replace the deteriorated bridge decks carrying I-287 over Durham Avenue and Route 1, deck patching and repairs on the remaining bridge decks, and installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems [ITS] equipment including signs and cameras. "The cameras would expand our capabilities to watch the roads," said Gregory Maryak, the resident engineer for both projects. "We are adding two new cameras and upgrading an existing camera that sits on Route 1 in Edison." NJDOT said the I-287 northbound structure over Durham Avenue in South Plainfield has been determined to be in the worst condition of all the decks to be replaced. The work on the bridge will be performed in two stages. "The contractor has been directed to complete this deck replacement by December 2007," said Scott. The construction on the I-287 southbound bridge over Durham Avenue will begin in 2008 and will also be performed in two stages. Crossover lanes will be made to keep all lanes open on I-287. Construction on the I-287 structures over Route 1 will begin in 2008 and be performed in stages. Due to the different lane configuration in this area, a temporary structure carrying two lanes of I-287 traffic over Route 1 will be necessary. This temporary bridge will be installed in the median of I-287 and will be removed when construction is complete. Traffic closures will be the same for both projects under NJDOT guidelines. All lanes on I-287 and Route 440 will remain open during the morning and evening rush hours. Lane closures will be limited to overnight (9 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and off-peak hours.