New Jersey wants to help out commuters plagued by the ongoing sinkhole troubles currently plaguing Morris County. NJ Transit will start offering a 50% discount to riders starting Monday on roundtrip travel affected by continued repairs to Interstate 80 in Wharton. The fare reduction will be avai lable until the necessary repairs are finished, the Saturday announcement explained. “By offering these discounts on the trains, we will get vehicles off the road and provide residents another option to get to work or school, and back home at the end of the day,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. According to NJ Transit, riders from Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong, and Mount Arlington can board the train without payment. But any commuters planning to transfer at Newark Broad Street Station or Summit Station to continue on to Penn Station New York should notify a train crew member in order to obtain a transfer ticket. On the return trip, those riders can purchase a one-way ticket back home to the aforementioned stations. After another sinkhole opened on I-80 in Wharton on Wednesday, the New Jersey Department of Transportation said the highway will remain closed indefinitely while repair work continues. NJDOT said they are adjusting the timing of signals on nearby highways to minimize the impact of the detours. According to findings from an initial New Jersey DOT study, a “significant” void sits underneath the eastbound lanes of I-80 near Exit 34. “If I can assure folks, it’s that — it’s because we want to get the job done right and safely,” Morris County Assemblywoman Aura Dunn said about the extended highway closure. Dunn said part of the problem stemmed from the sheer number of voids that had been found under I-80. It was first thought there were about 90 voids, but crews have since found about twice as many, likely caused from old mines in the area. “It’s been 24/7 with DOT crews working around the clock to fill these holes. I hate to use the analogy, and many have: We kind of have a system of Swiss cheese, and we gotta plug those holes,” said Dunn. As of Monday, six weeks of work had been completed, and the DOT had hoped to reopen one lane of eastbound traffic on the westbound side of the highway in order to offset growing traffic jams. But Wednesday’s development likely put a pause on those crossover plans. A massive sinkhole the size of a four-story building appeared in the same area in December after an abandoned mine collapsed beneath the roadway. It took four days to fix. Other voids were found. There are no immediate concerns about the stability of I-80 westbound. In March, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency in Morris County in an effort to get federal funding for I-80 repairs. How do I avoid the closures on I-80? Here is the information from NJDOT on how to avoid the closures. I-80 westbound Exit 34 Detour: Motorists on I-80 westbound will be directed to take Exit 34B to Route 15 north/Jefferson/Sparta Keep left on Route 15 northbound Use the left two left lanes at Pondview Drive to make a U-turn onto Route 15 southbound Stay right to take the ramp to I-80 westbound I-80 eastbound Exit 34 Detour: Motorists on I-80 eastbound are being directed to take Exit 34 to Route 15/Wharton/Dover/Sparta At the end of the ramp, stay right following signs for Route 15/Jefferson/Dover/Sparta/Picatinny Arsenal Stay in the right lane on North Main Street following signs for Route 15 North/Jefferson/Sparta Bear right toward Route 15 northbound/Picatinny Arsenal At the traffic signal, merge onto Route 15 northbound Stay left, following signs for Pondview Drive/U and Left Turns Using both lanes, make a U-turn at the Pondview Drive traffic signal and merge onto Route 15 southbound Stay left to take the exit to I-80 eastbound Traffic is advised to use Exit 28 to take Route 10 eastbound or Route 46 eastbound as an alternate route to avoid the area. Route 10 eastbound Alternate Route: Motorists on I-80 eastbound are advised to take Exit 28/Route 46 eastbound to Route 10/Ledgewood/Lake Hopatcong, which is several miles before the closure Continue on Route 46 eastbound Stay right to take Route 10 eastbound Take the exit to I-287 northbound Stay right to take the ramp to I-80 eastbound Route 46 eastbound Alternate Route: Motorists on I-80 eastbound are advised to take Exit 28/Route 46 eastbound to Route 10/Ledgewood/Lake Hopatcong, which is several miles before the closure Continue on Route 46 eastbound Stay in the two left lanes to turn left at the traffic signal to continue on Route 46 eastbound Turn left onto Route 15 northbound in Dover, back to I-80 or Continue on Route 46 eastbound for about 12 miles and stay left for I-80 eastbound ...read more read less