With questions posed about an exit ramp project on I-280 and widening a bridge on the highway, are there plans to widen it's narrowest section? Ask @CommutingLarry.
Are there plans to widen a section of I-280 in Newark, which currently is a two-lane bottleneck? Let's see if there are any highway blueprints in the Ask @CommutingLarry mailbag
Recent questions about the $90 million Route 21 exit project on I-280 and whether it is possible to widen the Stickel Drawbridge brought a natural question about another I-280 bottleneck.
GOT QUESTIONS?
Ticked off about mass transit? Wondering about road construction? E-mail your questions to NJ.com's transportation expert Larry Higgs. He'll answer your questions on Tuesdays and Thursdays on NJ.com. You can also Tweet @CommutingLarry.That bottleneck is a two lane section of I-280 between the bridge and 7th Street.
Eastbound drivers know it as the place where traffic staying on I-280 bears right and the five lane highway squeezes down to two lanes, while the other three go to an exit for First Street.
Q: Are there plans to widen the two-lane section of I-280 through Newark between the Stickel Bridge and 7th Street in Newark? - NJ.com user joearch
A: Sorry joearch, the answer from the DOT is no.
"There are no plans at this time to widen the section of I-280 in Newark," said Kevin Israel, a DOT spokesman.
One of the reasons is the highways geometric constraints. The two-lane road and shoulders are wedged next to NJ Transit's Morris & Essex rail line on the eastbound side and Spring Street on the west.
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DOT officials gave a similar answer to a question about why the Stickel drawbridge over the Passaic River can't be widened. There isn't enough room between the bridge towers for more lanes.
Whether the topic is about more Route 24 lanes or cleaning up after dirty birds at a train station, ask and we'll see if we can get an answer.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
