New Jersey Roads - US 1-9T - Viaduct construction

US 1-9 Truck - Construction of US 1-9 connector


Until the end of the page, photos are from February 5, 2011, except the next one is a year older.


At the beginning of construction for the future US 1-9 Truck interchange with NJ 7, dirt gets piled up to "surcharge" the ground. All this extra stuff held up by modular walls starts to compact the ground underneath over a period of weeks. Once it stops settling for the most part, the extra dirt is removed and the actual graded roadway is established. This process establishes a solid foundation for everything on top. The photo looks west toward NJ 7 as US 1-9 Truck SB turns left. One day, the mainline roadway will be up here and US 1-9 Truck will exit from it in a long loop as NJ 7 continues on across a new Hackensack River bridge.


During construction in 2011, the new road is nearly complete to the right of the old, but there's still a stub ramp for future NJ 7 EB to Tonnele Circle. That ramp opened well before NJ 7 over the replacement Wittpenn Bridge, serving almost no one in the meantime - just James Ave. out of the industrial area to the north or traffic that failed to follow US 1-9T and kept going straight around the long loop.


Turning right to get to the west end of construction, newly extended James Ave. SB meets newly looped US 1-9 Truck. James Ave. used to end at St. Pauls Ave., but there used to be a connection to the west that went through to Charlotte Circle (US 1-9 Truck at NJ 7). The wall to the left is the new/future connector viaduct.


Looking east along St. Pauls Ave. at the viaduct, very much under construction. The Pulaski Skyway approach trusses loom in the background. I believe the red light at lower left is for a crossing train.


Looking south from James Ave. at the new US 1-9T/NJ 7 intersection, with the Skyway truss behind. With the viaduct fully open, there is no more left turn to US 1-9 North. Once the new Wittpenn Bridge opens, NJ 7 will be the through movement from the viaduct, and there will be no road to the right or traffic signal at all. (Newark Ave. to the south will remain at a signal.)


Let's get up onto the overpass - go any speed you like. During construction, traffic can only bear right to NJ 7. The uncovered sign will allow interim traffic from James Ave. (and anyone who doesn't read signs on US 1-9 Truck) to get to US 1-9 NB, until the new Wittpenn Bridge opens and cuts it off.


Since the ramp is not cut off yet, I continue up the future connector EB/NB. The second photo shows James St. below the viaduct and the existing US 1-9/US 1-9T trusses behind.


Leaving room for the future NJ 7 EB.


Future signs for US 1-9 NB (left) and Tonnele Circle/NJ 139 (right).


The overpass of the loop (future NB ramp to NJ 7 WB and US 1-9T SB mainline) lags behind the rest of the work, facing south.


Looking north with freezing feet at the unopened, snowbound lanes. The old US 1-9 Truck trusses are still up next to the Skyway, but not for long. Once the connector opens, the trusses disappear. The second photo shows a stub for the future NJ 7 EB offramp to Tonnele Circle. US 1-9T NB will come up between NJ 7 and that ramp, and will split to both destinations.


The guts of concrete, steel rebar stacked on a flatbed.

Quality control?


The farthest north I'm willing to walk, ending in a look to the north of the viaduct at the future onramp from NJ 139 yielding to traffic from St. Pauls Ave.


Walking back west (SB) to our cars and heaters.


Now I'm up to March 2012, looking east from US 1-9T under the future NJ 7 EB ramp to Tonnele Circle.


Driving south in July 2014, you start to feel like you could drive straight onto NJ 7 WB, if not for the gaps before and after the approach and the fact there's no deck, only rebar. Would you believe it'd be another 7 years before it opens?

More construction at US 1-9
US 1-9 Truck mainline photos
Back to US 1-9 Truck main page

Onto regular US 1-9

Onto NJ 7
To I-280
To the N.J. Turnpike, I-95
Onto NJ 139
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Into Hudson County
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