NJ Turnpike extension project revised; new bridges will still be built
The replacement of the 70-year-old Newark Bay Bridge with two wider bridges is set to begin this year.
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Construction is set to begin in the spring replacing the Newark Bay Bridge - the first step in a bigger plan to overhaul the whole roadway that ends near the Holland Tunnel.
Another part of the project that would have added lanes through Jersey City has been scrapped. Some in government are calling it a compromise, while others aren't so sure.
"I don't really see spending $12 billion to make traffic even worse,” said John Reichman, of the group “Empower NJ.”
The replacement of the 70-year-old Newark Bay Bridge with two wider bridges is set to begin this year. One four-lane bridge will open in 2031. Another will open five years later. The current bridge only has two lanes headed in either direction.
The Turnpike Authority says the extra bridge lanes will reduce congestion and are needed because a two-lane bridge cannot handle the extra volume as local housing and the port industry continue to grow.
Opponents see another problem.
"They have no plan with respect to how to deal with the bottleneck when four lanes feed into two lanes,” Reichman said.
The updated project also calls for new ramps, giving trucks headed to Port Liberty Bayonne direct access without using exit 14A, a move cheered by Bayonne officials.
The Environmental Impact Statement has not been published for the next phases of the project. There was no significant impact found for the new bridges.
The new executive director of the Turnpike Authority, Kris Kolluri, signaled he'd be taking a close look at the $10+ billion project funded by Turnpike toll revenue.
"The system's safety can never be compromised," Kolluri said. "I know one thing. That bridge that goes between 14 and 14A needs to be replaced. It is a structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridge. Our job is to make sure we do that. I know the community, especially in Jersey City has some concerns - I want to understand what they are, and let's see where we can go from there."
"What Gov. Sherrill decides to do with respect to the bridge is going to be an early sign with respect to her commitment to public transit and her commitment to environmental justice,” Reichman said.
And perhaps - an early sign of the administration’s commitment to improve the Toll of Commuting.
