Approval has been given for a $6.2 billion upgrade project for the New Jersey Turnpike. Construction work for two new bridges will commence in 2026 now that the approval has been secured from the US Coast Guard following an environmental review.
Two new cable stayed structures will be built to replace the 2.94km-long Newark Bay Bridge, while a section of I-78 will also be upgraded. The work will be the first stage for the Newark Bay-Hudson County Turnpike Extension Project. The existing Newark Bay Bridge opened to traffic in 1956, carrying two lanes in either direction and is no longer able to cope with traffic demand. The widest span of the existing bridge is 387m, with 41m of clearance for vessels passing underneath.
The project is being managed by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The plan calls for the existing bridge to remain open until 2031, by which time the first of the new bridges should be ready for use. Construction will then commence for the second of the new parallel cable stayed bridges, while the old bridge is demolished. By 2036 both of the new bridges should be complete, providing four traffic lanes in either direction, and these will feature protection around the supports to prevent damage from vessels.
The bridge connects New Jersey Turnpike with Hudson County, New Jersey and the Holland Tunnel. The turnpike is an important route that connects Bayonne, Jersey City, Port Jersey, Liberty State Park, Downtown Jersey City, Hoboken, the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.
The Newark Bay Bridge project is not without controversy. Some local politicians are calling for the existing bridge to be upgraded instead of being replaced, as well as new public transit being built.
