By Pat Kelleher

In the 1950s, the post-war economy was in full swing, spurring the development of some of New Jersey’s most relied-upon transportation infrastructure with much of this work performed by union labor. However, no structure can last forever, and many of them are reaching the end of their life and must be replaced.

And now, labor is ready to do our part again to replace our aging infrastructure to keep it safe for New Jersey families and workers.

The NJ Turnpike Authority is undertaking a historic modernization program to rebuild the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension – that’s 8.1 miles of transportation infrastructure from Interchange 14 in Newark to Jersey Avenue in Jersey City. The extension consists of 29 bridges that are nearly 70 years old, which along with roadways and ramps, will be replaced with safe, resilient, and sustainable structures.

The first stage is the reconstruction between Interchanges 14 and 14A, in Bayonne and Jersey City. That project includes the Newark Bay Bridge, which you can tell needs to be rebuilt by the many backups due to lane closures for repairs. The significance of this program for its surrounding communities – and the state at large – is obvious: The first project alone will create 25,000 jobs with benefits and generate $2 billion in wages for union members and workers from under-resourced communities.

You’ve heard from opponents of the program, but the truth is that many New Jerseyans recognize the need for this modernization and safety program. The labor community, for one, strongly supports it. Our members live in Bayonne, Jersey City, and Newark, and our voices should matter too.

And here are the core points that need to be underlined, and to address some misperceptions:

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