New Jersey Turnpike Opens Expanded Lanes
‘Largest Roadway Project’ in Western Hemisphere Project Draws to a Close
Construction along the N.J. Turnpike
The expansion of a 35-mile (56-kilometer) stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike, the nation’s sixth-busiest toll road, drew to a close after five years of construction.
The $2.5 billion project added three lanes in each direction between exits 6 and 8A and one lane in each direction between exits 8A and 9. At its peak, the project was the largest roadway project in the Western Hemisphere, according the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
The new northbound lanes opened to traffic on Sunday and the new southbound lanes are scheduled to open next weekend.
The widened section runs from Mansfield in Burglinton County to East Brunswick in Middlesex County.
The agency said that the project was being completed on time and $200 million under budget. The project required 140,000 cubic yards (107,000 m3) of concrete, 2.4 million tons (2.18 million metric tons) of asphalt, and 123 miles (198 kilometers) of guardrail, as well as four miles ( 6.5 kilometers) of noise barriers and 140 new overhead signs.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
