⚠️ New construction begins Friday on the George Washington Bridge
🚗 Detours through December 2026
➡️ The work is part of a $2 billion effort to rehabilitate the bridge
FORT LEE — New Jersey commuters who regularly use the area’s busiest bridge might need to pack a little more patience for the next several months.
Starting on Aug. 14, another phase of a multi-year project to rehabilitate the George Washington Bridge is scheduled to begin.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the nearly century-old span, said construction of the Center Avenue bridge will result in traffic and pedestrian detours through December 2026.
“The right lanes and sidewalks on the northbound Center Avenue bridge over the George Washington Bridge approach in Fort Lee will be closed to traffic for rehabilitation,” the Port Authority said.
The closure affects both the New Jersey-bound Interstate 95 to Center Avenue ramp and the ramp from Center Avenue to New York-bound Interstate 95, according to the Port Authority.
Multiple detours, including ones for trucks and buses, will be in place throughout the project, with officials urging motorists to allow for extra travel time. Detour signs will be posted. Click here to see the current travel detour advisories.
Once the work is completed, motorists and pedestrians should notice a difference.
“The new Center Avenue overpass will feature upgraded structural components, enhanced lighting, and improved roadway and pedestrian amenities designed to improve safety and traffic flow,” the Port Authority said.
READ MORE: Flying out of Newark? Here’s the major safety upgrade now installed at the airport
Drew Angerer, Getty Images
Work part of larger multi-billion rehabilitation project
The project is part of an overall push by the Port Authority to ensure that the bridge remains “structurally sound and vital.”
Launched in 2015, the Port Authority’s “Restoring the George” rehabilitation program includes 11 projects totaling $2 billion. The Port Authority said the goal of “Restoring the George” is to “combat wear and tear, replace aging bridge components, initiate new construction, and provide added layers of safety and ease of travel for the public.”
The George Washington Bridge opened in 1931.
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