Route 80 East reopens

Route 80 eastbound near Wharton reopened about 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30 after emergency repairs of the highway during the weekend, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT).

Road crews began repairing a short stretch of Route 80 in Morris County on Friday, Dec. 27 after a sinkhole forced the eastbound lanes to shut down.

The highway’s guardrail hung suspended in the air across the gaping 40-foot-wide hole, which opened up when an abandoned mine collapsed under the highway’s right shoulder Thursday morning, Dec. 26, the DOT said earlier.

In a statement Monday, the agency said, “NJDOT and contractor crews worked around the clock beginning on Thursday, December 26, and through the holiday weekend and inclement weather, to complete the extensive repair as quickly and safely as possible.”

DOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said, “I want to commend the outstanding efforts of the NJDOT and contractor crews that worked tirelessly to get Interstate 80 reopened quickly and safely for the motoring public.

“Given the extensive nature of the damage, it is truly remarkable the amount of work that was done in such a short amount of time.”

Repairs included excavating and stabilizing the sinkhole before reconstruction of the road. To rebuild the road, crews installed a base of stone aggregate, wire mesh topped with more stone and a concrete layer. That was topped with additional fill and compacted before several layers of asphalt were put down.

In addition, the slope was reconstructed and the guiderail repaired.