Lettiere opens northbound span on
$48 million Route 9 Edison Bridge rehabilitation project

Project alleviates congestion, improves traffic flow

The opening of the northbound span to traffic marked the long-awaited conversion of the old Route 9 Edison Bridge from a one-span, 4-lane structure with no shoulders to a two-span bridge with a total of six lanes with shoulders.

“Today we mark another milestone in Governor McGreevey’s commitment to reducing congestion and improving the quality of life for New Jersey residents,” said Lettiere. “Area commuters can now spend 15 minutes more each day with their families rather than stuck in bottleneck at the foot of the Edison Bridge.”

The original Edison Bridge span opened to traffic in November 1940 and now carries more than 82,000 vehicles daily. With Route 9 corridor traffic counts increasing over the years, the old bridge became a “hot spot” for traffic congestion and bottlenecks.

The federally funded project, which broke ground 2001, constructed a new span adjacent to the existing bridge, which was rehabilitated.

“The completion of this project shows how the federal funds our delegation fights for in Congress can make the lives of real, working New Jerseyans better,” said U.S. Senator Jon Corzine. “This project will help New Jersey commuters spend less time in transit and more at their destinations.”

“I'm happy to have played a role in funding this most important project,” said U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg. “I will continue to fight in Washington for the funds to rehabilitate our bridges where possible, and build entirely new structures where necessary. When it comes to our bridges and the millions of lives that travel over them, safety is of the utmost importance. I am committed to doing all I can to see that we get the resources to continue that.”

In an effort to repair the state’s aging transportation infrastructure and ease congestion in the region, the McGreevey Administration has invested nearly $250 million on three river crossings in the region – the Edison Bridge, the Victory Bridge and the Driscoll Bridge.

Last year, Governor McGreevey announced an unprecedented inter-agency agreement between the NJ Turnpike Authority and the NJ Highway Authority to fund and construct a new southbound Driscoll Bridge adjacent to the existing bridge, which will be reconstructed for northbound traffic.

The Route 35 Victory Bridge project, which started in December 2002, will construct a new bridge to replace the existing bridge connecting Perth Amboy and Sayreville.

"The Raritan River crossings are critical points for our region's commuters and business industry," said Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman John Wisniewski. "Although the Edison Bridge project was primarily funded with federal money, it was our state's Transportation Trust Fund that provided the important final dollars necessary to bring the improvements to fruition. I look forward to the reauthorization of the Transportation Trust Fund so that the final dollars for this important project are not the final dollars from the Transportation Trust Fund."

“I’m glad that the opening will start to alleviate some of the congestion in the area,” said Assemblywoman Arline Friscia. "The Edison Bridge project, along with the other bridge projects in the area, are a clear example of our transportation dollars being well spent."