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Route 80 Reopens After Sinkhole Repairs (Photos)

Route 80 reopened on Monday, Dec. 30, days after a sinkhole opened up on the highway in Morris County in a post-Christmas surprise, authorities said.

Route 80 sinkhole

Route 80 sinkhole

Photo Credit: Morris County Government Facebook photo

Route 80 reopened at 8 a.m. following the emergency sinkhole repairs near milepost 34 in Wharton, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said.

The DOT and contractor crews had been working around the clock since Thursday, Dec. 26 to complete the repair work as quickly and safely as possible, NJDOT said.

"Given the extensive nature of the damage, it is truly remarkable the amount of work that was done in such a short amount of time," Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. 

Repairs included excavating and stabilizing the 40-foot by 40-foot sinkhole, before a full depth reconstruction of the roadway, the DOT said. To rebuild the road, crews installed a base of stone aggregate, wire mesh topped with more stone and a concrete layer, the DOT said. 

That was topped with additional fill and compacted before several layers of asphalt were put down to rebuild the road, the DOT said. In addition, the slope was reconstructed and guiderail repairs were completed, the DOT said.

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