More headaches for drivers as New Jersey Route 80 sinkhole repairs expected to last months

• The eastbound side of Route 80 in Wharton will remain closed for another 6 to 8 weeks for sinkhole repairs.
• The repairs are costing $150,000 a day.
• On Route 80, the voids on both the westbound and eastbound sides were created by abandoned mines.

Drivers will need to be patient. Residents will need to find ways to cope with the noise and clogged streets as detours continue. Businesses will have to find ways to grapple with reduced foot traffic.

The eastbound side of Route 80 in Wharton will remain closed for another 6 to 8 weeks for sinkhole repairs, Gov. Phil Murphy said on Saturday. The westbound side may reopen more quickly, at least in part, with a goal of having two lanes open in a week or so, the governor said.

The repairs are costing $150,000 a day, he said.

Murphy made the announcement along with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy as they visited the site where collapsed mines have been causing increasing problems for months, undermining the superhighway and requiring around the clock repairs.

"This is a massive artery that can't be shut down," Duffy said. "So everyone is working to figure out what solution we need so we can open this up. As the situation evolves, we're all assessing where we are at and what is the best response."

Duffy and Murphy said federal, state and local officials are all working together for funding and to make the repairs as fast and safely as possible. Federal government aid for the repairs is "to be determined" Murphy said, but he said Duffy is doing everything he can to help, including asking Congress for funding.

"All of government is working together to make sure this gets back open," Duffy said. "The key is to make sure it is safe for people to travel."

Murphy first visited the sinkhole site two weeks ago and declared a state of emergency, which allows for expedited repairs and permits the state to apply for funding through the Federal Highway Administration. That funding can be released if a road has suffered serious damage from a natural disaster or other external cause.

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Sinkholes have become a way of life for those traveling around North Jersey, and in particular Morris County, over the past several months. Commuting is becoming more challenging each day. And side streets and downtowns along the Route 80 corridor are feeling the brunt of detours, as cars and trucks are funneled around the collapsed superhighway.

On Route 80, the voids on both the westbound and eastbound sides were created by abandoned mines ― many of which dot the landscape in Wharton, Dover and the aptly-named Mine Hill.

Murphy emphasized that the repairs must have “no impact on the local communities.”

The buildings and structures to the surrounding areas have been “triple checked.”

“We feel good about the structures,” Murphy said. “We feel less good about the inconveniences here which is enormous.”

Officials are also working on relief for business owners that Murphy said will be determined later.

NJ Transit offering discounted rides

NJ Transit is preparing for an influx of extra people using mass transit.

Starting on Monday, NJ Transit riders traveling from Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong and Mount Arlington will not need to purchase a fare when boarding.

Customers at these stations should inform the train crew if they are transferring at Newark Broad Street Station or Summit Station to continue their trip to Penn Station New York, NJ Transit said in a statement. They will receive a transfer ticket to present to the crew on the connecting train.

For the return trip, commuters will have to purchase a one-way ticket back to one of those five stations, which will net them a 50% discount on round trip travel.

Collapsed mines caused Route 80 sinkholes

The voids on Route 80 are located near the junction of Route 15 (there is also a massive bridge repair on Route 15 south underway in Jefferson). The one on Route 287 sits between Routes 80 and 46, just south of the Boonton Reservoir. The two sinkhole sites are less than 20 miles from one another by vehicle.

Now, all that traffic is being funneled through the downtowns and side streets of Boonton, Denville, Wharton, Dover, Randolph, Parsippany and other highway towns. 

NJDOT is aware the sinkholes are likely caused by a failing network of mineral mines that once fueled the economy of the region, but were mostly closed and abandoned long before highway construction began in the 1960s.

Murphy said the state is bringing in experts from Pennsylvania and Colorado who are specialists in dealing with mines.

The underbelly of Morris County and its roads are filled with more than 100 abandoned mines, most located in the northwestern half of the county, according to a 2020 geographical report of Morris County.

As repairs continue at the site, testing conducted by the New Jersey Department of Transportation has "identified 90 locations to be assessed and mitigate potential instability or possible voids."

Additional reporting by Amanda Wallace, William Westhoven, Kyle Morel, Philip DeVencentis and David M. Zimmer