HIGHWAYS
NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE AUTHORITY INTERCHANGE 12
Carteret, NJ
Due to the recent construction of several large warehouse developments in Carteret, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority needed to increase the capacity at Interchange 12. The scope of work for this $80,000,000 project involved reconstruction of the existing Interchange 12 toll plaza, reconstruction of the access ramps from the interchange to the local roadways and the widening Roosevelt Avenue and Industrial Highway in Carteret. All work was to be completed in 30 months.
The main purpose of this project was to achieve total reconstruction of the toll plaza area. The existing 7 toll booths were transformed in stages—while maintaining traffic—to a new, expanded 17 toll booth plaza. The new toll plaza includes all new toll booths, toll collection facilities, canopies and a state-of-the-art, 7,000 square foot two-level administration building. Another major feature of the project was a 2,200 feet long “flyover” cloverleaf bridge structure. The bridge included drilled shaft foundations, piers of up to 30 feet in height and curved plate girders supporting the cast-in-place (CIP) concrete bridge deck. This bridge was constructed through the existing wetland areas amid the constant challenges of live traffic at this most heavily traveled interchange.
As part of the project, there were 20 retaining walls constructed. These walls included mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, CIP concrete walls and permanent steel sheeted walls. In addition to these walls, the project included a CIP concrete extension to an existing 30’ wide x 10’ high box culvert, and approximately 500 linear feet of 7’ wide x 3’ high precast concrete culvert. The storm drainage work included pipe ranging in size from 12” diameter up to 68” x 106” elliptical pipe. The utility work included water mains, sanitary sewers and underground duct banks for PSE&G.
The earthwork for the project included 24,000 cubic yards of muck excavation, 76,000 cubic yards of roadway excavation, 160,000 cubic yards of embankments as well as surcharge placements and removals. The earthwork also included the testing, classification and offsite disposal of 45,000 tons of contaminated soil. The roadway pavements included 36,000 tons of asphalt and 3,000 cubic yards of concrete pavement. The electrical work included three signalized intersections, two temporary traffic signals, overhead lighting for local streets as well as the toll plaza area with its related power and communication systems.
