All lanes open on Route 46 congestion
relief project in Totowa
Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere today announced that all lanes and ramps have been opened to traffic at the interchange of Route 46 and Riverview Drive in Totowa, NJ.
The timetable for the $18 million reconstruction project, which began in 2001, was significantly accelerated through the urging of Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., Lettiere said.
"Congressman Pascrell has been a tireless supporter for this project and it has been his advocacy in Washington that helped deliver this project as quickly as possible," Lettiere said. "Motorists who use this stretch of Route 46 can now relax, enjoy their ride and get where they are going quicker and safer."
"Funding the improvements to Route 46 has been one of my top priorities in Congress. I am happy to see the roadway opening at Riverview Drive, allowing for safer, more efficient travel," said Pascrell, who secured $8.6 million in federal funding for the project. "Route 46 is one of the most congested corridors in the state and was not originally designed for the volume of traffic it now carries. A continuous program of improvements to this road is crucial to safety, economic development and a better quality of life in this region."
The Riverview Drive bridge over Route 46 is being widened and reconstructed to better facilitate traffic flow and ease congestion. The construction contract was awarded in July 2001 to Railroad Construction Company of Paterson, NJ. Final paving will be completed within the next few weeks, Lettiere said.
With the re-authorization of TEA-21 in 1998, Congressman Pascrell, as a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, had Route 46 designated a High Priority Project, thereby garnering $24 million in federal funding for a number of projects in the corridor. The Congressman included specific earmarks for the Riverview Drive project, the "Spaghetti Bowl" flyover ramp connecting I-80 west to Route 23 north in Wayne, as well as two upcoming Route 46 projects at Van Houten Avenue and Union Boulevard.
Approximately 118,000 vehicles use Route 46 in Totowa and Wayne every day. After I-80, Route 46 is the major east-west corridor in North Jersey.
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