The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is suspending all roadway construction activity over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend to eliminate congestion, NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson announced on Nov. 23.

In order to accommodate the anticipated additional traffic, NJDOT at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 will suspend all construction work that affects travel lanes on state highways. NJDOT will continue the suspension until noon on Monday, Nov 29. NJDOT will permit lane closures for emergencies only.

“We urge motorists to exercise caution on the state’s roads and to allow extra time to ensure safe travel to their destinations,” Simpson said in a prepared written statement from NJDOT.

In addition to suspending construction work, NJDOT announced the following statewide highway safety initiatives:

• New Jersey this week introduced two new smart travel tools in time for the holiday weekend, the “Trumpit” audio traffic alert application for iPhones and the new 511 Popular Driving Times widget. More information is available at www.511nj.org, ^[1] NJDOT’s real time traffic Web site.

• The Statewide Traffic Management Center enables NJDOT, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the New Jersey State Police to manage and respond to accidents, adverse weather, special events and congestion. The facility operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

• Motorists can call 511 anytime for personalized real-time traffic information.
• Motorists may also subscribe to MyNJ511, a Personalized Traveler Service that sends free, real-time traffic alerts to any Web-enabled communication device.
• The NJ State Police will be involved in two Safe Passage campaigns this season – a Thanksgiving Drunk Driving Enforcement Crackdown between Nov. 22-24 and a Thanksgiving Stay Alert Campaign from Nov. 25-28.
• Drivers are encouraged to call the following numbers for roadside assistance or to report a disabled vehicle, roadside debris or other problems;
  - On the Turnpike, call #95.
  - On the Parkway, call #GSP (#477).
  - On the Atlantic City Expressway, call #ACE (#223).
  - To report aggressive driving on any road, call #77.