Gov. Jim McGreevey walked gingerly through a steady rain Monday afternoon, carrying the Irish shillelagh that he’s been using to help get around while he rehabilitates his broken femur. He strode toward a tent that was constructed just for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Paterson Plank Road-Tonnelle Avenue overpass that links North Bergen with Secaucus.
Although the weather was dismal for an outdoor event, nothing was going to dampen the governor’s spirits.
“I’m back in Hudson County,” McGreevey told people as he walked to the press conference area. “That’s reason enough to smile. I’m a Hudson County guy. I love being on the sacred soil of North Bergen.”
McGreevey was born in Jersey City.
There was good reason for everyone to smile through the raindrops on Monday. The ceremony officially ended countless nightmares motorists have had trying to maneuver through the busy intersection.
Most of the headaches were caused by the endless delays that motorists had to endure whenever a Conrail train or another freight train made its way through the frequently used tracks on Paterson Plank Road.
“Motorists were forced to wait in traffic for 30 minutes as 80-car freight trains went by,” McGreevey said. “It gave us all a better idea of what road rage was all about. This area long frustrated Hudson County and New Jersey motorists.”
However, NJ Transit had an idea, along with North Bergen Mayor and State Senator Nicholas Sacco, that could eliminate the traffic woes.
As part of the proposed Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, slated to make its way through North Bergen by 2005, NJ Transit proposed a $45 million project that would help traffic flow and in the process, allow for pedestrian access to the proposed Light Rail station that will be built adjacent to the overpass in the coming years.
“The project, funded by the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund, was constructed to support the Light Rail system,” McGreevey said. “The project allows vehicular and pedestrian traffic along Paterson Plank Road to cross above Route 1&9 (Tonnelle Avenue), as well as the freight rail tracks. It helps to provide an infrastructure for the 21st century that will dramatically improve the quality of life for everyone who lives in the area.”
McGreevey credited the work of two men – Sacco and U.S. Rep. Robert Menendez – for getting the project moving. Menendez was instrumental in securing the necessary federal funds to complete the project.
“They are the ones who deserve the lions’ share of the credit for seeing this through,” McGreevey said. “It’s a prime example of where government works. The infrastructure of the state is important to all of us. This administration will continue to work toward improving the infrastructure and improving our roads and means of transportation.”
Better for business
McGreevey said that the upgrade of the road will also lead to an upgrade in business in the area, both in North Bergen and in neighboring Secaucus.
“Increasing private development on a project like this is designed to spur more business in the area,” McGreevey said. “It really helps everyone in the area.”
Sacco, who has been the chairman of the State Senate Transportation Committee for the last two years, said that the opening of the overpass “was a dream come true.”
“I’ve lived in this area for a long time and we’ve been trying to get something done at the site since the 1980s,” Sacco said. “My colleagues in the senate and I have worked tirelessly to bring this project to fruition. This overpass will greatly improve access for businesses, residents and commuters. Along with other area construction currently underway, this is a major step toward easing traffic congestion and providing the business community with improved development.”
Added Sacco, “The project moved so quickly [it was completed in 18 months], so it’s bound to open up avenues in both North Bergen’s and Secaucus’s business district. It’s going to make traveling through the towns much easier and it was definitely needed for the area and for Hudson County.”
State Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto was also on hand, representing his hometown of Secaucus. “I’ve been one that has had to wait 30, sometimes 40 minutes for the train to pass by,” Impreveduto said. “Now, that’s a thing of the past. For people of Secaucus, it’s going to make navigating from one town to the next a whole lot easier.”
“This was Senator Sacco’s vision,” McGreevey said. “It was his commitment and tenacity that got to see it through.”
Another overpass that will link North Bergen and Secaucus, at Route 1&9 and Secaucus Road, is expected to be completed within the next few months. That overpass is also being constructed to eliminate traffic headaches from the freight train rails and also give easy access to a planned Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stop as well. But the one opened last week has a unique distinction.
“I officially open the Nicholas Sacco Memorial Paterson Plank Road Bridge,” McGreevey said, laughing, as he helped cut the ribbon. Sacco uttered a smile and laughed.
Acting NJ Transit Executive Director Gwen Watson credited several private firms that helped to get the project done in rapid fashion, particularly 21st Century Rail, which is also constructing the entire Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system.