The state Department of Transportation said it expects major congestion and delays as summer vacations come to an end, school resumes and many people head back to work.
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Construction work began last month on the much-anticipated project to replace the Route 495 Bridge.
One lane of travel was closed in each direction on Route 495 to begin long term construction on the bridge between Route 3/NJ Turnpike and Kennedy Boulevard and the ramps from Route 495 westbound to Paterson Plank Road and the ramp to Route 1&9 south.
The exclusive bus lanes will still operate in the morning.
The closures are expected to snarl traffic for the next two and a half years.
Commuters are being advised to seek alternate routes in and out of the city.
DETAILS: What you need to know about the Route 495 project
The bridge itself is nearly 80 years old, and more than 150,000 motorists use it every day.
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It is now considered structurally deficient and functionally obsolete. Officials say the deck replacement work now getting underway is long overdue.
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