Overnight repair work on GWB begins; 3 upper-level lanes close down

FORT LEE, N.J. (WABC) -- Repair work on the George Washington Bridge got underway Monday night, and it is expected to impact traffic for weeks.

Three upper-level lanes will be closed for 12 weeks during overnight hours, as workers resume a project that began last summer.

The lanes will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Friday into Saturday.

There will be no lane closings on Saturday or Sunday nights. Truckers have to use the upper roadway. Driving a car, your best bet is to take the lower roadway.

Considering the number of people that cross the GW Bridge, drivers will tell you there is never a good time for construction, especially a project that closes down three lanes.

"I got stuck in it the other day. I was stuck like two hours, it was torture," said one driver.

The startup of the bridge rehabilitation work involves replacing six foot sections of the existing bridge deck with a new modified deck system which is then lowered into place, and extends the life of that deck by 15 to 20 years.

The work will shift between the eastbound and westbound directions during the project.

Because delays can run 60 to 70 minutes on the upper level, drivers are urged to use the lower level, which saw minimal or no delays many nights last summer.

Many drivers may not have any choice but to build in extra time, which is also important if you thought you would bypass the bridge and take the Lincoln Tunnel, where for the last two months the helix fix is now affecting westbound traffic each night.

CLICK HERE to view the current construction schedule and learn more about the project.

On the days of Yankee games or events at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, the contractor on the GW Bridge will not be allowed to close lanes until one hour after the end of the game/event to mitigate traffic impact.

The bridge project provides for the rehabilitation of the structural steel on the upper-level roadway deck and support structure to maintain it in a state of good repair.