TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti announces that two NJDOT projects have been named regional winners in the 2020 America’s Transportation Awards Competition.

New Jersey received honors for the following projects:

• Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges Project Contract 4, which was named best Quality of Life/Community Development
• Route 280, Route 21 Interchange Improvements Project, which was named best Operations Excellence

Contract 4, which is being recognized with this award, is part of the $312-million federally-funded Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges Project that is improving a three-mile stretch of Route 72 from Marsha Drive in Stafford to Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom.

The overall project included the construction of a new 2,400 foot-long bridge. In addition to constructing a new parallel bridge and reconstructing the existing bridge, the project also rehabilitated three trestle bridges and included environmental mitigation on Cedar Bonnet Island.

For the $91-million Contract 4, George Harms Construction Co. used an innovative approach to reconstruct the Old Causeway Bridge that saved time and money, and resulted in reopening the bridge a year early.

The $95-million federally-funded Route 280, Route 21 Interchange Improvements project was an urban interchange reconstruction project in the City of Newark. The project began construction in September 2015. It repaired deteriorating ramp and mainline structures, and built new ramps to provide a fully integrated interchange between I-280 and Route 21.

The project built four new bridges, rehabilitated two additional bridges within the interchange, and upgraded existing infrastructure, such as highway lighting, traffic signals, signing, and landscaping. The project also eliminated two direct ramps onto I-280, and constructed shoulders to widen the lanes.