Eastbound lanes of I-280 will be restored to their normal traffic patterns Thursday evening as the first phase of construction on the $5.2 million project is expected to conclude, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced Wednesday.

The project, which began in early June, involves replacing bridge decks that are deficient in both directions of the road which connects Parsippany-Troy Hills and East Hanover over the Whippany River. About 62,000 vehicles drive on the bridge on a daily basis.

Pre-construction activities began in February, including the construction of a temporary bridge where both eastbound lanes were created so that contractors could continue reconstruction. The next phase of the project, a press release sent Wednesday said, will include demolishing and then reconstructing the westbound bridge decks. This portion of the project is expected to begin in late-January and the westbound lanes will then also be operated on a temporary bridge.

"Utilizing the temporary bridge enables NJDOT to maintain two travel lanes on I-280 during daytime and peak period hours during the demolition of the old bridge decks and construction of the new cast-in-place concrete decks," the NJDOT said. "Diverting traffic onto the temporary bridge will also allow NJDOT to accelerate the construction and complete each deck within a shorter time-frame."

The NJDOT expects the entire project to be completed in the summer of 2013.