U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11), the Democratic nominee for governor, stated that while she believes the $10.7 billion New Jersey Turnpike extension project can be “more innovative,” she is focused on seeing Phase I completed first.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“You know whose been a great advocate on this has been Congressman [Rob] Menendez, who sits on the Transportation Committee in Congress and I know he’s worked on ideas such as a bus lane and stuff like that because this is a very extensive project,” Sherrill said in an interview after giving remarks at Surf City in Jersey City yesterday.
“Now, we’ve got to move forward, especially on that first part of it because that is the bridge portion and that bridge has an ‘F’ rating, right now you often see the shoulder used as a lane, that emergency vehicles cannot get on the bridge, it’s very dangerous, so we need that update, but I think there are many good ideas about how we can be more innovative in this project and as governor I’m gonna demand those …”
Back in May, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a permit for the $6 billion Newark Bay Bridge project, part of the $10.7 billion turnpike widening, as HCV first reported.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has contended that multi-lane mergers are causing crashes, arguing this project, will decrease traffic significantly in northern Bayonne, Greenville in Jersey City, and the East Ward section of Newark.
They have also stated that the project is not being funded via taxpayer dollars.
Nonetheless, large-scale infrastructure endeavor has not been popular in Jersey City and Hoboken, with both municipalities entertaining filing litigation to stop the effort in its tracks and electeds from both cities routinely coming out against it.
Conversely, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, also the Democratic nominee for Hudson County sheriff, has endorsed the project. Davis and Sherrill both ran with support from the Hudson County Democratic Organization in the June 10th primary.
When asked if she would consider an amended plan that would scale back the project a bit, the congresswoman reiterated that the first priority is to get Phase I completed.
“What I’m really focused on is that first portion right now, and that is the bridge … You look across the country, and in so many cases, you see these dangerous bridge failures,” Sherrill explained.
“And in the aftermath of that, people come together and say ‘how could this happen in the United State of America, how could we not do better?’ If we kill this, that’s how that happens … We’ve got to do better by people.”
Sherrill’s November 4th general election opponent, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, has not taken a position on the Turnpike widening project yet.
