Beginning at 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 19 until 5 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 20, the right lane on Route 7 into Belleville is scheduled to be closed before the Rutgers Street Bridge over the Passaic River. The closure is necessary to allow for the removal of parts of the old lift bridge elevator, which is being replaced. One lane will be maintained. Motorists are advised to use caution, slow down and expect delays.
The work is part of a $4 million state funded moveable bridge elevator replacement project for the Route 7 Belleville Bridge over the Passaic River that will remove the existing elevators in both towers and install new elevators. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2026.
Portable variable message signs are being used to provide advance notification of traffic pattern changes associated with the work. The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.