NJ Transit offering free train rides in areas near I-80 sinkholes
MORRIS COUNTY, New Jersey (WABC) -- NJ Transit is offering a break for commuters caught in the mess caused by two massive sinkholes on the stretch of I-80 near Exit 34 in Morris County, New Jersey.
The NJDOT says the westbound side may reopen soon. The agency has set a goal to open at least two lanes in the next week.
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Crews have worked around the clock to repair the roadway.
The work is costing the state about $150,000 per day, according to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
The full repair will likely take 6 to 8 weeks.
Over the weekend Governor Phil Murphy and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and other elected officials toured the damage promising a way for federal, state and local to share the cost of repairs.
The governor announcing free travel into the city by NJ Transit trains from Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong and Mount Arlington.
Some took advantage of the option. It's free going into the city, but the trip home is regular fare.
Part of the work being done on the stretch of highway includes testing sections for any signs of more potential areas where an old mine shaft might suck up the roadway.
As that testing and repairs continue, westbound drivers must navigate a maze of a commute as they exit I-80, detour past the troubled area, and then regain access back onto the highway.
Doing it nearly daily, drivers have ideas of their own.
"I don't understand. When they build bridges, they put up a temporary bridge. Why don't they do that," Adam Templin of Hackettstown said.
Meanwhile, the highway shutdown causing chaos on side streets.
Residents says the side streets now look more like mini highways with 18-wheelers rolling through daily.
"Just getting out of the house is very hard," Leidy Leyva of Wharton said. "A lot of noise."
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