Ramps from 495 onto routes 1 and 9, a truck-heavy artery running north-south, will be closed. The Holland Tunnel, to the south, bars large trucks, and the George Washington Bridge, to the north, is the second-worst truck bottleneck in the nation, according to a study of truck GPS data by the American Transportation Research Institute. The increased gridlock could force truckers - who already have seen the bridge and tunnel toll from New Jersey into New York rise to more than $100 in recent years - to seek alternate ways into the city, though their choices are little better. "So what this means is there will be more congestion before the tunnel and it will take more time to get to the bus lane," Patel said.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is overseeing the $90 million undertaking, which it says will extend the life of the bridge by 75 years. In a region known for its soul-crushing gridlock and delay-prone rail system, the 80-year-old Route 495 viaduct connecting the New Jersey Turnpike to the tunnel is where smooth rides come to die daily for more than 150,000 motorists.Īn estimated two-and-a-half-year rehabilitation project to shore up the bridge and replace the roadway surface will close one lane in each direction, 24 hours per day for about two years.