Gov. Sherrill Joins Hoboken, Jersey City Officials' Quest For Smaller Turnpike Bridge Plan

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Hudson County officials and activists praised a surprise decision by Gov. Mikie Sherrill on Tuesday evening to support a scaled-down NJ Turnpike expansion near the county's border with Newark.

Instead of a proposed two-bridge expansion with eight lanes, Sherrill said she'll support a four-lane bridge over the Newark Bay. The revised proposal is here.

Sherrill also recommended that the Turnpike Board continue with safety improvements on the roads leading to the Holland Tunnel, without expanding capacity.

Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour said Wednesday, “I thank Governor Sherrill for advancing a smarter, more environmentally responsible path forward for this critical infrastructure project."

She added, "We can and must address important safety needs without inducing additional traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution."

Jersey City Mayor James Solomon and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka issued a statement saying, in part, "Today’s decision acknowledges that the previous proposal would’ve opened the floodgates of heavy traffic through communities that already bear a high burden of traffic and air pollution. For years, our communities fought against a seriously ill-conceived plan while proposing serious alternatives."

The project recommended by Sherrill to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Board will cost $6.7 billion, the largest construction project in the agency’s history.

Under Gov. Phil Murphy, the Turnpike Authority originally planned to rebuild an 8.1-mile stretch of the I-78 Turnpike extension, doubling the number of lanes across the Newark Bay through Bayonne and Jersey City to the Holland Tunnel.

Learn More about the project here: Controversial Plan For NJ Turnpike Bridge Has Shrunk, Gov. Sherrill Says

Patch Editor Eric Kiefer contributed reporting for this story.