Pennsylvania Avenue westbound in South Kearny, Hudson County, is set to reopen between Central Avenue/CR 659 and Jacobus Avenue on Monday morning as part of the ongoing Portway, Fish House Road/Pennsylvania Avenue project. The reopening is scheduled for 5:30 a.m. on December 15.
While the westbound section will be accessible, Pennsylvania Avenue eastbound will remain closed between Jacobus Avenue and Route 7. Drivers are advised to follow posted detours during this period.
Central Avenue/CR 659 northbound continues to be closed and detoured between 3rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue due to utility work. Local businesses retain access during these closures. Central Avenue/CR 659 southbound remains open from Pennsylvania Avenue to Route 1&9.
The current detour for Central Avenue northbound directs motorists to turn left onto 3rd Street, then left onto Jacobus Avenue, followed by another left onto 2nd Street before turning right onto Central Avenue southbound and taking the ramp to Route 1&9 Truck northbound. From there, drivers should turn left at the traffic signal to stay on Route 1&9 Truck northbound, take the ramp to Route 7 westbound, cross Wittpenn Bridge, and use the Fish House Road exit.
Full access is maintained for Fish House Road southbound and Pennsylvania Avenue east-west traffic as well as vehicles heading to the CSX Intermodal Terminal from the north. These closures are necessary for sewer and gas main replacement, electrical utility upgrades, drainage improvements on Central Avenue, railroad realignment, and crossing enhancements at Central Avenue/CR 659 and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The $82.4 million Portway project aims to realign roadways and reconfigure intersections in South Kearny. Presently, both Central Avenue and Fish House Road have two lanes in each direction while Pennsylvania Avenue has one lane per direction ending at a “T” intersection with a railroad grade crossing at Central Ave. The project will create a continuous curve with two lanes in each direction along its entire length.
Left turns from Central Ave northbound onto Pennsylvania Ave westbound will be removed; instead local streets will handle this movement. A new traffic signal is planned for installation at Third Street and Central Ave. The existing railroad crossing will be rebuilt about fifty feet east of its current location; additionally, the road elevation will increase by up to three feet above the ten-year tidal surge level.
Project completion is anticipated by fall of 2028.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation advises that schedules may change due to weather or other factors. Motorists can find updates on NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org or follow NJDOT social media channels including X (Twitter) @NewJerseyDOT, Facebook page, or Instagram @NewJersey.DOT for news.
“Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Watch NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor’s message about making roadway safety a way of life.”
