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P.O. Box 600
Trenton, NJ
Contact: Brendan Gill or Erin Phalon
609-530-4280
RELEASE: March 8, 2006
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NJDOT Holland Tunnel
approaches
rehabilitation
advances
$225 million project progresses
six months ahead of schedule
(Trenton) - Acting Commissioner
Kris Kolluri today announced that the New Jersey Department of
Transportation (NJDOT) on March 13 will start the second phase
of the Route 139 Approaches to the Holland Tunnel Project. The
project is currently six months ahead of schedule.
“The initiation of phase two of the Route 139 rehabilitation
project six months early reflects NJDOT’s commitment to
swift and efficient progress with minimal impact to motorists,”
said Acting Commissioner Kolluri. “NJDOT will diligently
implement strategies to mitigate traffic and communicate with
motorists as we continue to rebuild the approaches to the Holland
Tunnel.”
The 12th Street Viaduct is an elevated eastbound roadway; the
14th Street Viaduct is an elevated westbound roadway. The upcoming
construction stage will entail the repair of the lower roadway
area where the 12th and 14th Street viaducts merge. Crews will
replace and waterproof the concrete deck and bridge walls, repair
structural steel, and install steel beams under the viaducts to
ensure their structural integrity. In addition, NJDOT will improve
motorist safety by securing the viaducts’ foundations.
In order to expedite work on critical aspects of the project and
minimize delays for motorists, NJDOT is utilizing an aggressive
contractor incentive/disincentive program. Under the program,
the contractor is subject to penalties of $20,000 per day for
work not finished according to the contract. Conversely, the contractor
can earn incentive payments of $20,000 per day by completing the
project ahead of schedule. The start of phase two six months ahead
of schedule reflects the success of the incentive/disincentive
program.
Phase Two of construction will require the following changes to
traffic patterns:
• From 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., two lanes of the eastbound 12th
Street Viaduct will remain open.
• From 11 a.m. to 5 a.m., one lane of the eastbound 12th
Street Viaduct will remain open.
• From 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., one lane of the westbound 14th
Street Viaduct will remain open.
• From 11 a.m. to 5 a.m., two lanes of the westbound 14th
Street Viaduct will remain open.
NJDOT has taken a variety of steps to manage traffic and mitigate
the impact of traffic delays during the second stage of the Route
139 project. NJDOT is building a shoulder structure on the 14th
Street Viaduct that will provide an additional travel lane for
motorists during construction. In addition, variable messaging
signs alert motorists of changes in traffic patterns and offer
alternate route information. NJDOT by summer 2006 will pave several
Jersey City roadways and adjust traffic signals to provide alternate
routes and enhance the flow of local traffic in the vicinity of
the project.
NJDOT is working closely with NJ TRANSIT to mitigate traffic impacts
by encouraging motorists to take advantage of park-and-ride options.
The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system provides frequent service
from three major park-and-ride facilities-Liberty State Park (1,248
spaces), West Side Avenue (804 spaces) and Tonnelle Avenue (740
spaces)-with convenient connections with trans-Hudson ferry services
and PATH trains to Downtown and Midtown Manhattan. To accommodate
increased demand, NJ TRANSIT recently doubled seating capacity
on most peak-period trips by
using two-car trains. In addition, light rail service frequency
has been increased to five-minute intervals at Liberty State Park
and Tonnelle Avenue stations and to ten-minute intervals at West
Side Avenue.
NJDOT provides travel resources such as emergency roadway information,
weekly construction schedule updates and real time traffic cameras
at www.njcommuter.com.
Commuter information is available at www.trips123.com as well as on radio traffic reports. NJDOT’ bilingual Community
Liaison is onsite to answer concerns and provide information to
community groups or individuals upon request. Interested parties
should call 1.877.NJROADS.
The Route 139 Approach to the Holland Tunnel Project is a federally-funded,
$225 million project that will rehabilitate and reconstruct the
existing, structurally deficient 12th and 14th Street Viaducts.
This project has been made possible through extensive coordination
efforts with the City of Jersey City, New York City, Hudson County,
New Jersey Transit, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. NJDOT will continue
to work closely with its local and regional partners to ensure
that the project continues to progress rapidly and efficiently.
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