A future-forward modernization and safety program

Architectural animation of the future Newark Bay Bridge

Family sitting in modern car

Building for Safety

At the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, safety and relieving traffic congestion and its negative impacts on drivers, communities, and the environment are top priorities, which is why we’re undertaking this critical modernization and safety program to rebuild the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension. Opened to traffic in 1956, the Turnpike Extension is 8.1 miles of critical transportation infrastructure from Interchange 14 in Newark to the Jersey Avenue intersection in Jersey City. It is an official State of New Jersey evacuation route. The Turnpike Extension consists primarily of 29 bridges that are at the end of their life. Replacing them is a necessity.

Preparing for the Future

The communities adjacent to the Turnpike Extension are growing and the ports are thriving.

In Hudson County, it is projected that over the next decade, there will be an additional 80,000 residential units, 15 million square feet of office space, and nearly 4 million square feet of retail. Much of this development will occur in Jersey City and Bayonne due to their economic development success in tandem with the tremendous growth of the port facilities, which employ thousands of residents and are crucial to the State’s economy.

Newark Bay

Prioritizing Environmental Justice

The neighborhoods closest to the Turnpike Extension will be negatively impacted if repairs are not made.

Many neighborhoods closest to the Turnpike Extension are working-class communities of color, which is why environmental justice has been a key part of the planning and design process since the beginning. The rebuilding of the Turnpike Extension will be based on the most current environmental process and include stormwater basins to help reduce local flooding.

Family walking in neighborhood
City Graphic
Newark Bay Family walking in neighborhood

Building for New Jersey

Setting the
Record Straight

Myth Vs. Fact
Myth

The existing bridges can simply be rehabilitated or repaired.

Fact

The existing bridges cannot be rehabbed. There are significant issues below the surface of the structures and they cannot handle the weight of electric vehicles or the trucks headed to the ports.

Myth

Taxpayer dollars are being used to fund the Program.

Fact

No City, County, State, or Federal tax dollars will be utilized to fund this important Program.
The Program is being funded through toll revenue.

Myth

Most of the traffic on the Turnpike Extension is headed into New York.

Fact

Traffic heading into the Holland Tunnel is not the cause of projected increases in traffic along the Turnpike Extension corridor.
Independent origin-destination data show nearly 80% of eastbound Turnpike Extension traffic is bound for Jersey City (56%), Bayonne (17%), and other parts of Hudson County (6%).

Myth

There will be no new lanes between Interchange 14C and Jersey Avenue in Jersey City.

Fact

Columbus Drive to Jersey Avenue in Jersey City, which is the second priority, will NOT include new travel lanes.
This project is proposed to replace the existing two lanes as well as add standard shoulders in each direction for safety and maintenance.

Myth

This Program will create environmental justice issues.

Fact

Environmental justice has been a significant part of the planning and design of this entire Program from the very beginning.
The first project of the Program, the reconstruction between Interchanges 14 and 14A, has undergone 2 rigorous environmental review processes, both federal and state.

Myth

This Program is taking money away from public transit.

Fact

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority is also investing in the expansion of public transit.
On average, the Turnpike Authority contributes approximately half a billion dollars a year from its toll revenue—a historic level of funding—to the State of New Jersey for public transit.