Controversial Plan For NJ Turnpike Bridge Has Shrunk, Gov. Sherrill Says

NEWARK, NJ — A slimmed-down version of a controversial highway project in North Jersey has gotten a thumbs-up from Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

On Tuesday, the governor said she is recommending that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Board move forward with the $6.7 billion Newark Bay Bridge program: the largest construction project in the agency’s history.

The Turnpike Authority was planning 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. The blueprint also included plans to reconstruct and widen the Newark Bay Bridge.

The original plan, which was pitched during the Murphy administration, was to replace the existing structure with a new, eight-lane bridge – doubling its size. That plan has been reduced to a four-lane bridge, according to Sherrill.

Traffic is expected to shift off the existing bridge by 2031, the governor added.

“I am also recommending that the Turnpike board continue to advance design and permitting work on the roadway structures leading to the Holland Tunnel for safety improvements only, without expanding capacity,” Sherrill said.

The project is expected to support nearly 19,000 jobs, Sherrill said.

The Turnpike construction plan – initially estimated at a total $10.7 billion – has seen support from some pundits and vocal criticism from others.

The Turnpike Authority says the project will improve safety and ease traffic on the congested highway, in addition to boosting the growth of the nearby port system – one of the busiest in the nation. No city, county, state or federal tax dollars will be used to fund the project, which will be paid for with toll revenue. >>Read their full description of the project here.

Critics of the plan argue that it is a financial “boondoggle,” which will increase pollution in several overburdened communities – many of which are working-class communities of color. Advocates also claim the multi-billion-dollar plan is a bad investment at a time when public transportation should be the main priority. >>See some arguments against the plan here.

Sherrill’s announcement on Tuesday got a round of applause from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, who issued a joint statement about the decision.

“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,” the mayors said.

“For years, our communities fought against a seriously ill-conceived plan while proposing serious alternatives,” Baraka and Solomon wrote. “This win for our community is a testament to their hard work of building a coalition across the region.”

“In the end, Gov. Sherrill made the right choice for the future of our cities, the environment, and for the economic future of New Jersey,” the mayors said.

>> READ MORE: Controversial NJ Turnpike Expansion Moves Forward (See Pros, Cons)

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