New Jersey has started a nearly $7 billion project to replace the Newark Bay Bridge, which has been standing for over 70 years and carries nearly 31 million vechicles annually.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined state and local officials to break ground at a ceremony held on, Nov. 5, 2026 in Bayonne, NJ., marking the start of this major construction project.
Parsons Transportation Group is set to design the new bridge with Michael Baker International and Gannett Fleming picked for road and bridge improvements. The new cable-stayed bridge, expected to open between 2031 and 2032, will maintain the same number of lanes but include full shoulders for safety.
“The cable-stayed bridge is — from a modern bridge construction standpoint — is the gold standard, because it's cheaper, but secondly because it is easier and faster to build and it will last 100 years,” said Kris Kolluri, executive director of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Kolluri called the bridge replacement the largest construction project ever undertaken by the Turnpike Authority. The new bridge is part of the broader Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension Improvements Program, which includes mutiple improvements along an 8-mile stretch between Exit 14 in Newark and the Newark airport terminals, feeding into the Holland Tunnel.
Kolluri said the existing bridge is functionally obsolete and requires constant repairs.
"It worked well for 70 years, but, in 70 years it's become structurally deficient and functionally obsolete," said Kolluri.
The new structure will be built parallel to the existing steel arch structure, which will remain open until the new bridge is completed, then dismantled. The first steps of the bridge replacement will include construction of two timber deck trestles that will be used as work platforms during construction.
