The New Jersey Turnpike Authority will build a new eight-lane Newark Bay Bridge as part of its replacement of the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension, as depicted in this rendering that is for indicative, illustrative and contemplative purposes only. — Courtesy: NJTA
By Joshua Burd
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has taken a key step in its plan to replace a major piece of the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension, the critical but chronically congested artery that connects the highway to Bayonne and Jersey City.
The agency on Wednesday released the findings of a draft environmental impact statement focused on roughly half of the extension — from interchanges 14 to 14A — which it aims to reconstruct at an estimated cost of $6.2 billion. Doing so would eliminate congestion and provide important mobility, safety and access benefits to overburdened communities in Newark, Bayonne and Jersey City, the study found, under a plan that would involve replacing more than a dozen bridges and doubling capacity to four lanes in each direction.
The construction, which would begin in 2026 and last eight to 10 years, would kick off a larger plan for an 8.1-mile stretch of infrastructure that is nearly 70 years old and in a perpetual state of maintenance. State officials say rehabilitating the existing bridges and roadways is not a long-term solution — especially for the four miles between exits 14 and 14A — while citing the rapid growth of Jersey City and Bayonne.
“This program will provide the capacity needed to support the success of these cities,” Lisa K. Navarro, supervising engineer and program manager at the Turnpike Authority, said during a media briefing Wednesday. “The ports are also experiencing record growth. There is more warehouse development, providing living-wage jobs in historically marginalized communities.
“This growth coupled with the pandemic has led to sharp increases in delivery service vehicles like Amazon, ridesharing such as Uber and Lyft, truck traffic from the port and more,” she added. “This modernization and safety program will provide the infrastructure needed to support the growth in a safe, sustainable and resilient way.”
Stretching from Exit 14 in Newark to the Jersey Avenue intersection in Jersey City, the full extension consists of 29 bridges or viaducts that officials say are at the end of their life. The NJTA’s top priority is the four miles between exits 14 and 14A — the focus of the draft environmental impact statement, or EIS — which includes rebuilding the Vincent Robert Casciano Bridge or Newark Bay Bridge as well as 14 other bridges within that section.
The extension will remain open during the project — to be paid for through bonds supported by NJTA toll revenue — which will begin with the construction of the new westbound side of the Newark Bay Bridge, the authority said. Upon completion, crews will raze the old structure and move all traffic to the new span as it builds what will ultimately be the new eastbound side. The fully built project will double the capacity of the existing bridge, allowing for four lanes of traffic in each direction.
The NJTA noted that a primary focus of the 274-page impact statement is environmental justice, given that the extension is within or near areas that state regulators deem to be Overburdened Communities. To that end, the analysis included impacts on public health, community cohesion and access to parks and community facilities.
Some of the key findings include:
- The project will eliminate congestion between interchanges 14 and 14A, providing free flow and minimally disrupted low conditions to 2050 and beyond.
- The project will not cause residential displacements.
- The project will not impact community character or cohesion.
- The project will not encroach on or affect access to parks, community facilities or places of worship.
- The project will benefit residents and workers in the Overburdened Communities by improving mobility, safety and community access.
- The project will not disproportionately impact the Overburdened Communities or create adverse environmental and public health impacts.
- The project’s aggregate emissions from construction equipment were modeled and analyzed and found to be below the Environmental Protection Agency’s de minimis levels.
- The project will create more than 25,000 jobs during its construction period.
- The project will support the port and port-related activities such as warehousing.
Rebuilding the remainder of the extension to Jersey Avenue in Jersey City will take place in the next decade, NJTA said. And while that would not address the bottleneck that forms outside the Holland Tunnel, the authority cited findings that only 21 percent of eastbound traffic on the extension is bound for Manhattan, whereas 56 percent is headed for Jersey City and 17 percent is going to Bayonne.
State officials will complete additional environmental impact statements for the remaining phases once the detailed engineering and corresponding environmental analysis are conducted.
“Ensuring that all of our roadways are safe, sustainable and resilient for drivers and communities is our top priority,” said James Carone, the Turnpike Authority’s executive director. “The findings of the draft EIS reflect this commitment. These findings, for the program’s highest priority project, are the result of eight coordination meetings with (the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) and more than two years of analysis and investigations conducted by a team of environmental experts. In keeping with our goal of promoting equity in infrastructure, we are proud to share the results of the draft EIS.”
The draft is the first critical milestone in the ongoing multistep environmental review process, the authority said. Because the Newark Bay Bridge crosses Newark Bay, a federal navigation channel, the reconstruction from interchanges 14 to 14A is also subject to the National Environmental Policy Act and related federal approvals.
In compliance with NEPA, the Turnpike Authority has prepared and submitted a draft environmental assessment to the U.S. Coast Guard for approval, paving the way for a final version that will be released for public comment. The authority will also apply for DEP permits in the coming weeks to address impacts during and after construction.
Additionally, property owners within 200 feet of the permit limits will be notified in writing.
“This program is consistent with efforts around the country to rebuild our aging infrastructure,” said Michael Garofalo, NJTA’s chief engineer. “Our nation has witnessed the tragedies that can occur when we don’t invest in our infrastructure. The rebuilding of the Extension from interchanges 14 to 14A along with the entire program is an investment in our safety, climate resilience, and economy. It is important to note that no city, county, state or federal tax dollars are being used to fund the program.”
Officials prepared the draft in accordance with state requirements aimed at reducing or eliminating any potential adverse environmental impacts of projects initiated or funded by the state.
“We recognize that many of the communities closest to the Extension have been historically overburdened,” Navarro said. “This is why, from the very beginning, environmental justice has been central to the planning and design process for this safety and modernization program. The findings of the EIS for the most urgent project of the program demonstrate our commitment to prioritizing the safety of our drivers and the surrounding communities.”
