NEWARK, NJ – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez (both D-NJ) will be joined by U.S. Transportation Sec. Anthony Foxx to discuss the need for long term investment in our nation’s transportation system, investment that is critical to our state’s economy and will put thousands of New Jerseysans to work. The press conference, being held days before anticipated Senate vote to extend funding for the Highway Trust Fund, will take place on Friday, July 25, near the $84 million I-80 rehabilitation project.
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation is set to begin cutting highway reimbursements as early as August, if Congress does not pass an extension. The absence of funding would slow or halt over 100,000 projects that employ approximately 700,000 workers nationwide. In New Jersey, 23,663 jobs would be at risk and 1,311 active highway and transit projects will be slowed or stopped if an extension is not passed.
Work on this stretch of I-80 began in 2012 and included a major rehabilitation of approximately four miles of travel lanes on I-80, NJ. Expected to be completed in early 2015, the project will completely rehabilitate and improve I-80 between the Route 202/Littleton Road interchange and the Beverwyck Road interchange, a very busy stretch of highway with an average of 159,000 vehicles traveling it daily.
* Time is approximate and for press planning purposes only.
WHO:
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
U.S. Transportation Sec. Anthony Foxx
Vice President of NJ Laborers Union Raymond Pocino
WHEN:
Friday, July 25, 2014
10AM
WHERE:
I-80
33 Baldwin Road
Parsippany, NJ