Senators, mayors and other local government officials gathered in Hoboken yesterday to unveil the replacement of the city's 106-year-old bridge.
The 14th Street Viaduct, which connects Hoboken to Union City and the Jersey City Heights, underwent a three-year, $54 million renovation project that came to a close yesterday when the bridge became fully operational at 5 p.m.
"This particular viaduct is a major artery through the communities," said Sen. Bob Menendez.
During the replacement project, the south side of the old bridge was completely demolished and rebuilt while the other side continued to carry traffic before it too was demolished and replaced.
The new eight-span, 1177-foot long structure structure will carry more than 20,000 cars a day, Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise said.
"The feeder duct for the Lincoln Tunnel," as DeGise called it, also incorporates pedestrian-friendly zones.
A new cobblestone streetscape with decorative sidewalks, lighting and a new pocket park below the viaduct on Madison Street should be completed by the end of August, according to the county's contractor for the viaduct project, J.H. Reid General Contractors of South Plainfield.
"For Hoboken, the improvements underneath the viaduct are just as important as those on the bridge," Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said in a press release.
Zimmer added that the recreation area will include a dog park, a passive recreation area, and street hockey and basketball courts. DeGise said the "passive recreation area" could become a pedestrian mall in the future.
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner said the expansion of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and the waterfront, along with the 14th Street Viaduct shows the county's dedication to economic growth.
DeGise called the 14th Street Viaduct replacement "the largest DPW endeavor" in Hudson County history, while Turner added the project "could not be done without federal funds."
Menendez, who was joined with fellow U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, meanwhile stressed the importance of funding infrastructure.
This year, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the Transportation Department will disburse $45 billion while collecting only $33 billion for its Highway Trust Fund, according to NPR.
Menendez and Booker are fighting to reauthorize the Federal Highway Bill.
Without it, the federal government could shut down a multitude of projects and take away funding already promised to states.
"We need a strong federal response," Menendez said. "You cannot build roads to the future if every six months you need to reauthorize something.
"Building a bridge of this magnitude takes vision, and it takes money," he continued. "We cannot have projects like this unless we have funds."
Through a fiscal perspective, investing $1 in infrastructure produces $1.44 in economic growth, Booker said.
"Infrastructure has a multiplier effect," he added. "Do it right, we get jobs."