Newark Bay Bridge upgrade approved

Approval has been given for the first stage of the Newark Bay Bridge upgrade project. The work is expected to cost as much as $11 billion in total and includes widening work for the Turnpike extension running through Jersey City.

The approval process has come via the New Jersey Turnpike Authority board, although it has been agreed with New Jersey Department of Transportation and Hudson County. Replacing the existing four lane bridge, which is ageing, with twin structures each carrying four lanes is expected to cost over $6 billion.

Data shows that the New Jersey Turnpike carries the heaviest traffic volumes of any tolled road in the US. And there have been concerns about the ability of the Newark Bay Bridge, which opened in 1956, to cope with the large volume of traffic it has to handle.

The project is not without controversy however and there are local concerns over the environmental impact of the project as well as the increased traffic volumes that will follow. Given the congestion pricing scheme and the way it has helped reduce vehicle traffic and increase the use of existing public transport, there are questions as to whether the widening work is required. The 13km Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension would be widened from four to eight lanes.

Since the congestion pricing scheme was introduced, journey times through the Holland Tunnel have been cut by an average 48% according to research. Whether the congestion pricing scheme will be allowed to continue remains in doubt though.