Ironically, Mayor Mark Smith was stuck in traffic so he could not attend the information presentation made by officials from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority on July 12 about the proposed changes to the 14 A exit in Bayonne – considered the worst functioning exit in the state.
But had Smith been able to reach Washington Community School to hear residents’ reactions to the new plan, he would have gotten an earful of complaints, mostly about how the proposed new plan will not work, and how much more traffic Bayonne could expect despite the expected $300 million in improvements.
“The same time they will be rebuilding the Turnpike exit, the Port Authority will be working on the Bayonne Bridge.” – Sam Litchenfeld
____________
The Motor Truck Association objected to the increased distances trucks would have to travel if the Jersey City option was adopted, said Steve Buente, a New Jersey Turnpike Authority supervising engineer.
Jersey City officials objected to the plan because it appeared to interfere with some redevelopment plans slated for the area.
A study conducted several years ago by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority showed that with the exception of interchange 8A in Monroe Township, the Bayonne exit is the least functional of any interchange in the state.
Even on days when there is no accident or breakdown on the Turnpike bridge that connects Bayonne, Jersey City, and the Holland Tunnel to the main branch of the Turnpike near Newark Airport, backups at rush hour are routine and can leave drivers frustrated and enraged.
In the 1950s and over the years, the main arteries of the Turnpike have been widened, but not the Turnpike Extension servicing exits 14A, 14B, and 14C – this despite the fact that some estimates suggest as many as 100,000 vehicles now use the extension each way daily, and that traffic into and out of Bayonne will increase dramatically as the Port Authority develops the former Military Ocean Terminal (MOTBY) into a container port.
Buente admitted that the newest plan would not function as well as the one that would have directed traffic into Jersey City, but that it would alleviate the massive gridlock that 14A currently suffers, something that many of the 50 people who attended the event were skeptical about.
The new plan
The new plan would expand the existing interchange 14A toll plaza from 11 to 14 lanes, by relocating an existing utility building. The change would also widen the Bayonne interchange westbound entrance ramp from one to two lanes, providing more of a buffer during high volume times of the day.
While improvements include expanding the lanes for access to Port Jersey Boulevard, and creating new flyover ramps and more lanes to and from Port Jersey Boulevard, the plan fails to address a critical problem. The problem is the bridge over Newark Bay that has only two lanes westbound – which most residents said was at the core of the traffic backups.
Some residents suggested that the Turnpike Authority eliminate the wide shoulders on the bridge to provide another lane.
Buente said the bridge, when opened, was originally three lanes each way, but a serious accident about 20 years ago in which emergency vehicles were unable to reach the victims caused the Authority to change its philosophy systemwide, making wide shoulders available for emergency access.
But Buente said the Turnpike Authority doesn’t have the estimated $1 billion it would need to be able to replace the bridge.
Other residents had concerns related to traffic on local Bayonne streets.
The new plan calls for the closing of the 53rd Street turnoff, which means that traffic will be forced to use one of the other ramps or exits – most likely onto Avenue E – which many residents claim is already congested.
The Turnpike has agreed to improve Avenue E access and make other improvements in conjunction with the city to Avenue E and its traffic lights in order to improve traffic flow.
Residents’ concerns
Sam Litchenfeld called the plan “window dressing,” or a Band-Aid that would not solve the problems of the interchange, saying that if the Turnpike doesn’t do something about the bridge across Newark Bay, the problems at 14A will continue.
“People need to understand that the same time they will be rebuilding the Turnpike exit, the Port Authority will be working on the Bayonne Bridge, [and] we’re going to have a traffic nightmare in Bayonne,” Litchenfeld said.
Tom Bragen said the trucks are a huge problem and that containers coming out of the proposed container port should be put onto the rails, not the highways.
Washington Flores said the Turnpike Authority has to go back and get a new concept, saying the plan as proposed won’t work.
Many of the residents said that expanding the lanes at the Turnpike exchange will only add congestion, not reduce it, especially with the looming prospect of a massive influx of truck traffic through the interchange from proposed container ports at MOTBY.
Some of the positive changes would include pedestrian access to the Port Jersey area, which does not currently exist.
A large looped flyover would be constructed to allow traffic to go from the port areas to southbound Route 440, which is currently another traffic issue in the area, and this would eliminate an exit that currently requires an additional wait for a traffic signal.
The Authority is currently completing its preliminary engineering report for the project, and expects to submit an environmental impact statement to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection by October.
A formal public hearing on the project will be conducted in December, and the final design plans started by early 2012. Construction is expected to start in 2014 and with an estimated completion in 2017.
City makes minor change
Meanwhile, the city recently made a quicker fix to make the area safer by working on the lane lines in an area of the road. See related story, inside.