P.O. Box 600
Trenton, NJ
Contact: Erin Phalon
609-530-4280
RELEASE: October 27, 2005

 

Lettiere announces completion of Route 35 Victory Bridge and Victory Circle Project

(Newark)- New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Jack Lettiere today announced the completion of the Route 35 Victory Bridge reconstruction and Victory Circle traffic management project in Perth Amboy and Sayreville, Middlesex County.   The $162.5 million project was funded by federal and New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) monies.

"The new Victory Bridge is a fitting monument to the veterans of World War I," said Lettiere.  "The reconstruction of the bridge and elimination of the circle is the culmination of years of hard work and cooperation by federal, state and local officials to increase safety and improve traffic flow."

 

The Route 35 Victory Bridge provides a vital highway link over the Raritan River in Middlesex County.   Its traffic volume currently exceeds 20,000 vehicles per day and is projected to exceed 25,000 vehicles per day by 2015.   A combined 350,000 cars travel over the Raritan River each day via the Parkway, Route 35 and Route 9.

 

"The new Victory Bridge will prove to be an important boost to Middlesex County's regional economy, significantly alleviating road congestion and improving road safety," said Senator Jon Corzine.   "New Jersey's transportation infrastructure has always been key to our state's economic health, keeping our commuters moving and our economy growing. Rebuilding the bridge was an investment in our future.''

 

The original Route 35 Victory Bridge was built in 1926, connecting the municipalities of Perth Amboy City and Sayreville Borough in Middlesex County.   The 360-foot structure was t he longest swing span bridge in New Jersey at the time it was built.   The original bridge was commemorated to World War I veterans of New Jersey. The new bridge has been rededicated to the World War I veterans of New Jersey.  

 

"This new Victory Bridge means an easier trip for 20,000 motorists every day," said Senator Frank Lautenberg. "NJDOT has done a great job on this project, and I will continue to work with them to make our roads and bridges safer and more efficient."

 

The new southbound bridge was completed in the summer of 2004. All Route 35 traffic was diverted from the old Victory Bridge structure to the new southbound structure. This allowed for the subsequent demolition of the old span structure and construction of the new northbound twin bridge.  

 

The northbound bridge was completed in April 2005. The approaching roadways, bridge railings, barriers, and bridge monuments for the northbound structure were completed in time to open the northbound bridge to traffic on September 2, 2005.  

"The new Victory Bridge and Victory Circle will ease traffic congestion throughout the area," said Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, Chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee. "The new bridge will help not only the people stuck in traffic, but the environment, the economy and the quality of life in both Sayreville and Perth Amboy."

 

The new Victory Bridge will help relieve traffic congestion and create safer driving conditions. It provides significantly more space for motorists than the original structure, which contained four 9.5-foot travel lanes and lacked shoulders. Each new span contains two 12-foot traffic lanes, a 10-foot bicycle lane and a three-foot median.

 

"The completion of the Victory Bridge marks a milestone for central Jersey," said Assemblyman Joseph Vas. "The Victory Bridge will help ease the congestion of traffic through one of our busiest areas in the city and improve the region."

 

NJDOT simultaneously completed the Route 9 and 35 Victory Circle traffic management project in Sayreville.   The project improves traffic flow by eliminating the Route 9 and Route 35 Victory Circle and providing a grade-separated interchange between Route 9 and Route 35.   Route 9 now flows over an extension of Route 35/Chevalier Avenue.   NJDOT replaced the traffic circle with a modified diamond interchange featuring three traffic signals. The project eliminates an existing bottleneck by widening Route 9 to three lanes in both directions.

 

The State of New Jersey is investing more than $500 million to improve traffic congestion and upgrade the transportation infrastructure in eastern Middlesex County. In addition to the elimination of the Route 35/Route 9 Victory Circle in Sayreville and the reconstruction of the Victory Bridge, NJDOT is constructing a new Parkway Driscoll Bridge and a new Route 9 Edison Bridge and redesigning the New Jersey Turnpike Interchange 12 in Carteret.