A1504

An Act directing the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to study and report the costs of expanding the Vincent R. Casciano Bridge.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority shall conduct a study and prepare and submit, within six months of the effective date of this act, a written report which shall make findings and recommendations concerning the costs of expanding the Vincent R. Casciano, which carries the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike over the Newark Bay. The report shall examine the feasibility of expanding the Vincent R. Casciano Bridge; the feasibility of constructing a new bridge adjacent to the Vincent R. Casciano Bridge and dedicating one bridge to the facilitation of truck and commercial traffic, and the second bridge to the facilitation of passenger automobile traffic; the impact of expansion on traffic safety and traffic congestion; the nature, frequency, and cost of required maintenance resulting from expansion; other recommended methods of expansion; the estimated costs; the availability of federal funds; and any other information relevant to the subject of the report. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority shall submit the report to the Governor, both houses of the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 1991, c. 164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and the Chair of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee, or the respective successor committees, as appropriate. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority shall bear the cost of conducting this study and report.

2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire on the 30th day following submission of the report required to be prepared under section 1 of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to conduct a study and prepare and submit, within six months of the effective date of this bill, a written report which shall make findings and recommendations concerning the expansion of the Vincent R. Casciano Bridge (Casciano Bridge), which carries the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike over the Newark Bay. The report shall examine the feasibility of expanding the Casciano Bridge; the feasibility of constructing a new bridge adjacent to the Casciano Bridge and dedicating one bridge to the facilitation of truck and commercial traffic and the second bridge to the facilitation of passenger automobile traffic; the impact of expansion on traffic safety and traffic congestion; the nature, frequency, and cost of required maintenance resulting from expansion; other recommended methods of expansion; the estimated costs; the availability of federal funds; and any other information relevant to the subject of the report. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority shall submit the report to the Governor, both houses of the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L. 1991, c. 164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and the Chair of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee, or the respective successor committees, as appropriate. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority shall bear the cost of conducting this study and report.

The Casciano Bridge connects Interstate Route No. 78 and the New Jersey Turnpike mainline to the west with the Holland Tunnel to the east, and facilitates two lanes of commercial and passenger automobile traffic on each side. The Vincent R. Casciano Bridge serves as an important economic, cultural and social artery between the cities of Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Newark and the Holland Tunnel. It is a vital component to the State’s economy, linking traffic from all parts of the State with New York City, Hudson County, downtown Newark and the Newark Liberty International Airport.

Currently, the Casciano Bridge is a heavily congested roadway that frequently does not accommodate the flow of traffic, particularly during such crucial times as morning and afternoon rush hours. With proposed expansion of Bayonne’s former Military Ocean Terminal Base (now home of the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor), the Casciano Bridge will be subject to an increased level of congestion. Therefore, it is prudent to conduct a study that would examine the feasibility and costs of expanding the Casciano Bridge.