Hightstown Route 33 Construction Starts Thursday

Construction will begin Thursday night on the Route 33 bridge in Hightstown, , trucks will not be allowed in the downtown and the NJ Transit bus route will change, according to the state’s Department of Transportation and the Borough.

The project was delayed last week after the contractor was still ordering supplies for the start, the DOT said. Berto Construction Inc. was hired to complete the work, which is estimated to cost $655,000.

In August 2011, Hurricane Irene hammered the state, and water in Peddie Lake rushed over the top of the dam and through the downtown, damaging the bridge. Temporary barriers were set up until construction could begin.

The DOT said they will replace the sidewalks and parapets on the bridge, install new railings, replace roadway drainage pipes and outlet pipes near the bridge and the roadway will be repaved between Stockton and Franklin streets. The project will be done in stages.

Roadway Closures and Parking Restrictions

Starting Thursday, the southbound lane over the bridge will close. The northbound right turn lane will serve as both a turn lane and a through lane heading north, and current the northbound through lane will be used as a southbound lane.

Pedestrian traffic on the southbound side of the Route 33 bridge will be shut down, according to the DOT.

Parking restrictions will also be in put in place on both sides of of Academy and North Main streets, from Franklin to Bank streets, according to the Borough. North Main Street residents who live in the restricted area will be allowed to use the Borough Hall parking lot.

Detours

Trucks weighing more than seven tons will not be allowed to cross the Route 33 bridge during the duration of construction and trucks will be detoured to major roads, according to the DOT. Local deliveries will be able to access the downtown.

The DOT posted signs to alert motorists of the detour, which was provided by the department:

• Route 33 northbound/eastbound trucks needing to access the NJ Turnpike Exit 8 interchange will be directed to use Route 130 northbound to Route 133 eastbound.
• CR 539 northbound trucks will be directed to use CR 571 to Route 130 northbound.
• Route 33 southbound/westbound trucks will be directed to use Route 133 westbound to Route 130 southbound.
• CR 539 southbound trucks will be directed to use Route 130 southbound to CR 571 eastbound.

NJTransit bus routes will also change due to the weight limit, however the stops in town will remain the same. The update routes during construction have been posted on the Borough website and can be found in the photos to the left of this article.

The DOT said about 16,000 vehicles use the Route 33 bridge each day. The project is anticipated to end in September, and one lane in each direction will be open at all times. 

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