Strategic PartnershipsThe New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) will hold a public hearing regarding a $6.2 billion replacement project for the New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Bridge. Following the project’s approval, the hearing, scheduled for June 18, will be the last remaining opportunity for public input.
The plan is part of a larger $10.6 billion project to widen the entire New Jersey Turnpike Extension between Jersey City and Newark.
The June 18 hearing will include a livestream for those unable to attend. Officials will also leave the record open for written comments until July 3.
This is the first and only public hearing since the project was officially approved by the U.S. Coast Guard last month. Though opponents are calling for further environmental impact studies, construction will begin in 2026 with Coast Guard approval.
The project plan lists a $6.2 billion budget for the bridge replacement. Renderings show twin cable-stayed bridges with four lanes each, doubling the lanes the current bridge provides.
NJTA officials argue that the current bridge is nearing the end of its service life. The current bridge has seen almost constant maintenance and lane closures due to construction, and officials have stated that rehabilitation of the bridge is not an option due to underlying issues.
The plan gives an expected completion timeline of 10 years. One of the cable-stayed bridges on the north side of the current bridge would be built first, at which point the existing bridge would be demolished and traffic routed to the new bridge.
The first new bridge is expected to open in 2031, with the second bridge to follow.
Officials estimate that the project will create more than 25,000 jobs through planning and construction. The new bridges will have a minimum 100-year service life, up to 150 years, and contain standard shoulders to accommodate emergency vehicles.
Officials plan to fund the project with toll revenue, setting a $9 toll for cars traveling the new bridges.
maryatexitzero, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
