The massive overhaul of the Bayonne New Jersey Turnpike exchange is moving forward with preparation work for the construction project that will take years to complete.
Though the official groundbreaking will not be held until March 11, preliminary work has begun, according to those involved with the effort.
“The work that’s been going on so far has involved installing concrete barriers on the ramps to and from the toll plaza,” said Thomas Feeney of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. “Some preliminary work in preparation for the ramp-widening construction will be done once the barrier is in place.”
There have also been minor excavations for utility-related work that will be done as part of the project, according to Feeney.
“Heavy construction activity doesn’t begin until later,” Feeney said. “There will be a groundbreaking ceremony on March 11. I would expect construction to ramp up after that date.”
This year’s harsh winter has caused disruptions.
Though there have been reported traffic slowdowns in the area of the preliminary work, the real effect of the construction project won’t be felt for some time.
“As far as the impact on the community, real construction activity, we’re not really there yet,” Feeney said. “It’s obviously quite a big project; it’s going to be part of the fabric of the day-to-day life there for a long time.”
“You can tell the public everything’s going just fine,” said Tim Snow, project construction manager, last week.
Snow said the weather of the past several weeks has affected preliminary work, but that things are looking up.
“It’s going to be a couple of weeks before we really get something going” Snow said. “We just put a little barrier out at the toll plaza and we just started clearing the site. We scratched the ground. We removed topsoil. We’re trying to get some traction here and get something going.”
The project is expected to take three years. When it’s completed, the extension will have two extra lanes, one in each direction, as well as a traffic roundabout near its southern end designed to make entering and leaving the turnpike more efficient. The nearby connector bridge to Route 440 will also have two lanes in each direction, rather than one each way, as well as a shoulder on each side.
A new ramp will guide traffic to the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor (the former Military Ocean Terminal).
The earliest phases of construction will involve westbound traffic ramps and utility test pits, already dug by contractors on East 52nd Street, according Mayor James Davis’s office.
The first detour related to the project will involve 10 individual nighttime closures for Frontage Road, which comes off from the Route 440 connector north of 58th Street. Those Frontage Road detours may begin later this month, and continue through late June or early July.
As part of a public outreach plan, the Turnpike Authority has sponsored preconstruction inspections at homes within 300 feet of the construction, according to city spokesman Joseph Ryan.
Communication methods
Ryan said that several other communication options relating to the project will be established, including a website, telephone hotline, and pamphlet.
The website will include basic information about the project and construction updates.
The hotline number, which will be announced shortly, will operate 24 hours a day, and its number will be available on the website.
“The Turnpike will also be issuing a pamphlet about the 14A improvements,” Ryan said. “That pamphlet will list the hotline’s telephone number and the website’s address.”
Ongoing discussions
Davis said that city officials will have regular meetings with the turnpike contractors to update each other on issues related to the reconstruction.
“We want to minimize the impact of construction on residents and motorists alike,” the mayor said. “Since the reconstruction of the Bayonne Bridge will be continuing at the same time as the Turnpike work, we want to take all possible steps to keep traffic flowing in our community. The regular meetings will provide an opportunity for us to raise our residents’ concerns about the 14A project.”
The project is expected to take until 2018 to complete.
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.To comment on this story online visit www.hudsonreporter.com.