NJDOT and Bergen County move ahead
to improve access from GSP to Route 80 east
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), in conjunction with Bergen County, today announced that plans to improve access from the Garden State Parkway to Route 80 eastbound through local roads will move forward.
"Governor Whitman and I are committed to improving our transportation infrastructure at all levels through the utilization of local aid funding. This project will greatly ease congestion along local roads for those motorists seeking access from the Parkway to Route 80 and is a perfect example of what can be achieved through cooperative efforts between the state and county," said Transportation Commissioner John J. Haley Jr.
The $5.8 million project includes widening Midland and New Pehle avenues in Saddle Brook, building a new jughandle at the intersection of the two roads and installing two new traffic signals.
Midland Avenue and the bridge spanning the Parkway will be widened from two lanes to four lanes just north of Molnar Drive to south of Kenny Place. New Pehle Avenue will also be widened from two lanes to four lanes from Midland Avenue to the entrance ramps to Route 80 eastbound.
The jughandle will be constructed to allow traffic to flow more easily from Midland Avenue on to New Pehle Avenue. Signals will be added at the intersections of Molnar Drive and Midland Avenue, and at New Pehle Avenue and Relocated Pehle Avenue, which will also help ease congestion.
Currently, motorists on the Garden State Parkway southbound must exit at Midland Avenue, make a left on to New Pehle Avenue and follow it to the entrance ramps to Route 80 eastbound. At peak hours, motorists experience considerable traffic congestion.
The NJDOT has been responsible for providing design work and right-of-way acquisition. Bergen County, using funds provided to it through the NJDOT’s Local Aid Program, expects to award construction contracts sometime this summer.
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