State Will Entirely Replace Rt. 3 East Bridge In Secaucus

SECAUCUS, NJ — On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy was in Secaucus to announce a major project to replace the bridge that carries Rt. 3 eastbound over the Hackensack River.

The governor announced the news while standing on the banks of the Hackensack, alongside U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (D) and the town's Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9).

Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli and Police Chief Dennis Miller were also in attendance.

This is a major project that is several years away from starting, said the state Department of Transportation (DOT). There is not even an estimated date when work will begin. But it is happening: $143 million has now been secured to replace the bridge, part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed by President Biden in November.

The DOT has long eyed replacing the Rt. 3 bridge eastbound. Both Rt. 3 bridges over the Hackensack were built in 1934. The bridges are actually deemed to be in poor condition by the Federal Highway Administration, but the DOT says they are safe to drive on and will continue to be so for the next few years.

Rt. 3 will remain entirely open through Secaucus while the work is being done. Also, only the Rt. 3 eastbound bridge will be replaced, not the Rt. 3 westbound bridge.

An entirely new bridge will be built next to, just north, of the existing one, while the current bridge remains open.

What will happen to the current bridge once the new one is complete? Will it be blown up? Or turned into a pedestrian/bike path so Secaucus residents can walk to American Dream and MetLife stadium? This remains to be seen.

Every day, more than 150,000 cars drive over the bridge, according to DOT data. It is a key artery into the Lincoln Tunnel and Manhattan.

At the press conference Tuesday, Sen. Menendez said the bridge "is in a state of disrepair. Boy, do we need it."

“When they put the finishing touches on the Rt. 3 Eastbound, FDR was still in his first term. The westbound was completed under JFK,” said Secaucus' Congressman Pascrell. “Between these two bridges alone is 147 total years of wear and tear along one of the busiest commuter arteries in the Western Hemisphere."

"The existing bridge is in poor condition and needs to be replaced, but it is safe to drive on," said DOT spokesman Steve Schapiro. "Preliminary design will begin shortly. The start of construction will be dependent on the parameters of final design. The existing bridge will remain open during construction."

He said that until the designs are complete, he has no idea how long the bridge replacement will take.

"The project is only in concept design, which will take a couple of years," stressed Secaucus town administrator Gary Jeffas.

This is part of a larger plan by Gov. Murphy to replace 502 bridges across the state, most of which he says are aging. New Jersey will receive $229.42 million from the infrastructure bill to rebuild the bridges. New Jersey will also use the massive federal cash infusion to expand mass transit, build the Gateway tunnel Project on NJ Transit, replace water and sewer pipes and increase broadband internet access.

The new bridge would also be raised to accommodate marine traffic according to the U.S. Coast Guard’s standards.

Here is the announcement Tuesday in Secaucus:

Prior: $1B Coming To Fix 480 NJ Bridges In 'Poor Condition'

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