A future-forward modernization and safety program

History

Critical Then, Critical Now

All Roads Lead to the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension

In the Beginning

In 1949, Bayonne Assemblyman Vincent R. Casciano began advocating for Hudson County to have direct access to the new “superhighway” now known as the New Jersey Turnpike, which was being built to connect New Jersey to all of America. He did not want Hudson County residents to be left out of the economic benefits and access that the new highway would offer. Assemblyman Casciano was joined in this effort by Hudson County organizations and other elected officials in Hudson and Essex Counties, particularly Jersey City and Newark. After years of advocacy and work, the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension was built.

Today, the 8.1-mile long Extension between Interchange 14 in Newark and the Jersey Avenue intersection in Jersey City remains vital infrastructure connecting families and workers to their families, friends, activities, jobs, and more. It provides access to port facilities, which are important to New Jersey’s economy. The Extension is also an official State of New Jersey evacuation route.

"Good roads and plenty of them and bridges are among the best stimulants for business and prosperity."

-Assemblyman Casciano

  • 1949

    October

    New Jersey Turnpike Authority is Created

    Governor Alfred E. Driscoll signed the bill creating the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The purpose of the new agency was to build and operate a new superhighway funded by tolls.

  • 1949

    November

    The New Jersey Turnpike is Announced

    Turnpike Authority Commissioners announced the route of the new toll road. It would run from Salem County to Ridgefield Park in Bergen County. “118 miles non-stop – that’s what this modern ‘magic carpet’ being built by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority will provide for auto vehicles when it is completed,” the Asbury Park Press wrote.

  • 1949

    November

    Hudson County Advocacy for the Extension Begins

    Not everybody was happy with the route. Assemblyman Vincent R. Casciano of Bayonne worried Hudson County would miss out on the prosperity promised by the toll road. He began advocating for an Extension to be built across Newark Bay to connect the road directly to Bayonne and Jersey City.

  • 1951

    June

    Studies for the Extension are Promised

    After months of joint efforts by Assemblyman Casciano, the Chamber of Commerce, and other Hudson County business groups, Turnpike Authority Chair Paul Troast made assurances at the State House that preliminary studies for the Extension would begin right away.

  • 1952

    January

    Plans for the Extension are Approved

    The Turnpike Authority announced approval for the construction of the Extension to provide a direct connection between Hudson County and the nation’s newest superhighway from Newark to Ridgefield Park.

  • 1953

    July

    Pressure to Build the Extension Grows

    A petition was sent to Governor Driscoll and the Turnpike Authority by the governing bodies of Jersey City, Newark, Hudson County, and Essex County demanding that the Extension be completed without delay.

  • 1953

    August

    Completion Date for the Extension is Announced

    At a public hearing on the Extension in Jersey City, Turnpike Authority officials said they expected the roadway to open in 1956.

    “It will relieve the present congestion and overloading on avenues and streets here and in Bayonne…and open up potential new residential, industrial, and waterfront areas in both cities for further development.”
    -Turnpike Authority Chairman Paul Troast on the Extension

  • 1953

    December

    Plans to Elevate the Extension are Shared

    Turnpike Authority officials announced that in order to reduce the number of local streets being blocked by the highway, the Extension would be more elevated. As a result, more than 80% of the Extension was built on structures above Newark, Bayonne, and Jersey City.

  • 1956

    April

    Extension Opens Between Newark and Interchange 14A

    A ceremony was held on the bridge over Newark Bay to mark the opening of the 3.6-mile section of the Extension between Newark and Bayonne with more than 1,500 attendees.

  • 1956

    September

    A Ceremony Celebrates the Completion of the Extension

    A ceremony was held at the Holland Tunnel toll plaza to mark the opening of the Extension through Jersey City.

  • 1995

    August

    Newark Bay Bridge Renamed After Vincent R. Casciano

    Nearly 40 years after the Extension opened, New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed a resolution renaming the bridge over Newark Bay as the Vincent Robert Casciano Bridge in recognition of the Assemblyman’s efforts.