Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced Tuesday that she will push a plan to replace the Newark Bay Bridge with a single four-lane structure with shoulders. The $6.7 billion project would become the largest single project ever advanced by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and is part of the $10.7 billion Turnpike widening effort.
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill will ask the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to advance a $6.7 billion four-lane replacement of the Newark Bay Bridge.
- Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor James Solomon urged a single-bridge approach in a February 6 letter, citing costs, pollution, and traffic concerns.
- The project is part of the $10.7 billion Newark Bay–Hudson County Extension effort and is expected to support about 19,000 jobs, including thousands of union construction positions.
Bridge Replacement Plan Targets Aging 1956 Crossing
The Newark Bay Bridge carries four lanes of Interstate 78 into Bayonne. The structure opened in 1956, and federal officials say it will likely require replacement by 2031.
Transportation planning during the administration of former Gov. Phil Murphy examined constructing a twin-span, eight-lane bridge to replace the existing crossing that links Newark and Hudson County along the Turnpike extension. Critics said expanding capacity could increase traffic and air pollution in nearby communities.
Sherrill said the replacement project would focus on reliability and employment across the region.
“This historic investment in safety, resilience, and job creation will improve long-term reliability for drivers and freight,” Sherrill said. “This project will support approximately 19,000 jobs, including thousands of union construction jobs. It will generate economic activity across the region and create opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses in our state.”
Newark And Jersey City Leaders Requested One-Bridge Approach
The governor’s announcement followed a request from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, who had urged the state to pursue a single-bridge solution.
In a February 6 letter, the two mayors raised concerns about the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s plan to replace the Newark Bay Bridge with twin bridges.
“We write to you in our respective capacities as Mayor of Newark and Mayor of Jersey City to raise serious concerns regarding the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s plan to replace the Newark Bay Bridge (the ‘NBB’) with new twin bridges rather than rehabilitating or replacing the existing structure with a single bridge,” they wrote.
The letter said Newark and Jersey City would be the two communities most affected by the Turnpike project.
Baraka and Solomon said they shared state goals related to affordability, government efficiency, pollution reduction, and responsible use of public funds. They said the twin-bridge replacement proposal would not meet those goals.
The mayors acknowledged that the initial six-lane approach had been abandoned in December, yet they continued to oppose the revised twin-bridge concept proposed for Phase 1 of the $10.7 billion Turnpike project.
Their letter also stated that a single bridge would reduce construction costs, reduce air pollution, prevent traffic bottlenecks in Newark and Jersey City, and provide additional funding for public transit.
After the governor’s announcement, the two mayors thanked her for supporting the concept they had proposed.
“Governor Sherrill is showing true, community-led leadership,” Baraka and Solomon said in a joint statement. “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.”
Advocacy Coalition Raised Concerns About Expansion
The position taken by Baraka and Solomon matched that of 65 advocacy organizations that operate together as the Turnpike Trap Coalition.
The coalition sent a letter to the governor urging her administration to reconsider the $10.7 billion plan to expand the Newark Bay–Hudson County Extension.
The organizations said the expansion conflicted with goals related to affordability, government efficiency, and public transit investment. They also raised concerns about toll increases affecting New Jersey drivers.
Community advocates said a simple bridge replacement would address the aging structure without increasing traffic or pollution in nearby neighborhoods.
Safety Work Planned Near Holland Tunnel
Sherrill also called on the Turnpike Authority to continue design and permitting work on roadway structures leading to the Holland Tunnel.
She said those projects should move forward for safety improvements only and should proceed without expanding capacity.
The governor also asked the Turnpike Authority to require a Project Labor Agreement for the Newark Bay Bridge project.
Statements from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority during earlier discussions indicated that construction could begin this year.
