How the New Jersey Turnpike Changed America Forever - IT'S HISTORY

referred to as quote the most spectacular piece  of highway ever built the new jersey turnpike   is the world's most modeled highway it was the  first modern-day toll road providing entrance   to numerous locations in new jersey delaware  pennsylvania and new york spanning 148 miles with   28 exit locations it officially opened to  traffic in 1951 and has been a staple of the   tri-state area ever since today the new jersey  turnpike is the most heavily traveled toll road   in the united states with 12 foot wide lanes  10 foot wide shoulders and many service stops   named after influential new jersey residents  being referred to in several aspects of film   music and television the new jersey  turnpike is considered emblematic   of american culture so what were the initial  means to produce such a massive expressway   why were tolls controversial and what remains  of the original roadway today we discover the   story of new jersey's turnpike i'm your host  ryan socash and you're watching it's history as a video creator who loves to explore curious  topics i am thrilled to have recently discovered   our sponsor one dream the streaming platform  that has provided me with endless inspiration   one trium is where you will find the answer to  everything you've ever wondered about and some   of the things you've never imagined you'd wonder  about their carefully curated collection of   short and long form videos tutorials how to's  travelogues documentaries and more is academically   comprehensive thoroughly researched relentlessly  entertaining and presented by engaging experts   in a nutshell onedrive is the place for the  mind that wonders it's the place for you in   their series world heritage sites exploring  the world's greatest places i learned that   unesco has preserved over 1 100 sites worldwide  which hold a unique significance for humanity   learning about these places is akin to learning  to be human from the burned ruins of pompeii to   natural wonders like the great reef you will  visit 24 of these magnificent monuments so   if you've ever wondered about anything one dream  will be your new favorite place and they're giving   our viewers a great gift of a free trial so show  your support for our show by visiting onedrive.com   it's history to get your free trial now  seriously your brain is going to love this place   most accounts of the american highway system  start with the fact that most american roads   in the 19th century were in bad shape gravel  rocks and wood blocks paved the streets in   some 19th century townships unfortunately the  vast majority of roads were still made of dirt   and the primary use of transportation was canal  and railroads turnpikes left a critical social and   political stamp on the communities that debated  or supported them becoming symbols of civic pride   after enduring a period of substantial controversy  americans dreaded that turnpikes would become   quote engrossing monopolists who would  charge travelers outrageous toll prices or   abuse eminent domain advantage most simply did not  want to pay for travel that had formally been free   that being said obtaining funds to maintain these  much traveled roads also became a burden therefore   tolls were put into place soon after private road  building went in waves throughout the 19th century   and across the country with many  companies successfully financing   building and operating toll roads one of  the most successful occurrences of this time   was the turnpike era of the eastern states  essentially producing the new jersey turnpike into   more than just your basic road it was designed  to accommodate the eruption of vehicle traffic   in post-world war ii america providing ample  transportation for its ever-growing population   in the 1930s the new jersey state highway  department proposed two state highways route   100 and route 300 route 100 was the connection  from new brunswick to the george washington bridge   and route 300 was the southern part of  the turnpike from delaware memorial bridge   to new brunswick both roads were to be designed  without the use of tolls unfortunately the state   highway department did not have the finances  to complete the two freeways and very little   of the road was built under their patronage so  in october of 1948 the state legislator enacted   the new jersey turnpike authority act creating  the new jersey turnpike authority to construct   maintain repair and operate turnpike projects  a retired army corps of engineers officer who   served in world war ii general w w wanamaker  was appointed as the first executive director   of the turnpike authority the 1948 legislation  also called for three non-salaried commissioners   to oversee the project with paul trost as chairman  george smith as vice chairman and maxwell lester   jr as treasurer the idea of two routes was merged  into creating one super highway but where did   they get the funds well the new jersey turnpike  authority issued revenue bonds to finance the road   based entirely on future tolls without using  any tax money this was a risky investment   but proved to be victorious since the new  jersey turnpike received widespread acclaim   and ultimately captured much attention becoming  one of america's most famous roads originally   only planned to be 118 miles watermaker decided  to divide the turnpike into seven simultaneous   projects to expedite the construction process  about 90 major construction contracts and more   than 40 miscellaneous contracts were created  during the project over 110 contractors shared   this work employees were initially hired in  1949 and the urgency to complete the turnpike   as quickly as possible gave turnpike employees a  sense of mission and optimism even so designing   and constructing the new jersey turnpike wasn't  easy one major issue was a strict timeline the   turnpike was set to be completed by november of  1951 so the prestige of the administration rested   in the hands of the employees to not only build  the highway quickly but also to build it well   once the engineers determined that the turnpike  should be a controlled access highway they started   establishing a design speed the design speed  was 75 miles per hour south of east brunswick   and 70 miles per hour north of east brunswick  initially and ultimately ended up settling on   a legal speed limit of 60 miles per hour to  allow for a margin of safety access to the   turnpike would only be at interchanges spaced  at a considerable distance apart the roadways   were to have extra wide traffic lanes and broad  shoulders on both sides particular attention was   given to the signs along the new jersey turnpike  the first signs that announced the interchange   which offers the route and route number and  towns to which the swap gives access were   posted two miles before the interchange all  signs were to reflect brightly at night and   reflectors are also posted above the shoulders  at 150 foot intervals and installed in the six   inch wide broken white lines that separate the  traffic lanes the project had its challenges the   pavement that was to be chosen had to exceed  extremely heavy truckloads both concrete and   asphalt had their advantages and disadvantages  asphalt was proven to be highly flexible pavement   and also affordable therefore it was adopted as  the selected material during construction an issue   that presented itself was the city of elizabeth  an older industrial city of 110 000 residents   the problem was that over 400 homes and many  businesses would be demolished depending on   the chosen route the engineers decided to  go through a residential area in a defeated   elizabeth neighborhood where the property value  was at its lowest so financially this was the best   option but it was also the closest route to newark  airport when construction reached pulaski skyway   another challenge came to light would they build  under or above if engineers went over the skyway   which is 90 feet high they would have to elevate  the turnpike above the ground if they went under   the cost would be significantly lower overall the  roadway would be very close to the passaic river   clearing it by only 110 feet making it difficult  for ships to pass regardless the turnpike was   ultimately built to pass under another area  that was up for debate was hudson county located   directly across the river from manhattan and was  later renamed laurel hill with isolation hospitals   and three burial grounds the institutions steadily  emptied after the depression and by 1950 the new   jersey turnpike ran right through their sights so  with all the ups and downs the new jersey turnpike   finally opened surprisingly on schedule  on november the 5th 1951 the entire 118   mile length of the turnpike took 25 months to  construct at a total cost of 255 million dollars   when completed the governor of new jersey alfred  e driscoll stated in the new york times quote   in 1949 we determined to build the new jersey the  finest highway in the world linking the interstate   crossing of the hudson river with the interstate  crossing of the delaware river for the convenience   of the citizens of new jersey and our sister  states this project was called the new jersey   turnpike our turnpike authority has substantially  completed this project with incredible speed   in 1952 its first full year of operation  the turnpike carried 17.9 million vehicles   and generated 16.2 million dollars in toll  revenues since the beginning the turnpike   has utilized a ticket system in which motorists  are given a magnetically encoded ticket upon   entering the turnpike this ticket is handed over  at one of the 27 toll plazas where the collector   calculates the toll the toll fee depends on the  distance traveled therefore longer distances   result in higher tolls and if the tickets  lost the driver must pay the highest   fee upon exiting since established one of the  best things the new jersey turnpike offers   is its rest stops or service areas there are 23  rest stops and they are all named after a deceased   individual with some connection to the state this  includes alexander hamilton vince lombardi and the   woodrow wilson service areas they are all very  similar in design assisting with food restrooms   and travel maintenance since the new jersey  turnpike has the distinction of being america's   sixth busiest toll road it's also one of the most  heavily traveled highways in the entire country   having many places to stop is essential and  convenient for in-state and out-of-state   travelers between the delaware memorial bridge  and the george washington bridge there are a   lot of hidden gems along the way for example  just outside of wilmington delaware pennsville   is home to new jersey's most western point and an  excellent spot to enter the super highway another   interesting spot is the bamboo forest located in  new brunswick hosted by rutgers garden this serene   retreat into nature was initially intended as a  winter shelter for honey bee colonies in the 1950s   overall the turnpike will grant you complete  access to beautiful locations like red bank   battlefield hederasaurus park and even the world's  largest light bulb located in edison new jersey   the turnpike wasn't always just a place for travel  it also served as venue to one of america's most   prominent protests you see the anti-vietnam war  protest at the state capitol on april the 24th   1971 also known as mayday protest made its way  up the turnpike on that day over 175 000 people   protested in washington dc against the raging  vietnam war the american government had been   involved in this war since 1965 and the public  support for the conflict was rapidly decreasing   the war proved to be costly but it also  experienced a lack of direction and confusion   that ultimately boiled over into chaos for a  little context at this time the protest in dc   was actually the largest demonstration  against the american war that the nation   had ever known and people were traveling up  and down the east coast to participate at 6   30 p.m the march began with many cars and at  least one bus stopping in the northbound lanes   after coming off the delaware memorial bridge near  interchange 2 just 17 miles southwest of camden   in a colossal domino effect thousands of vehicles  slowly and ultimately stopped hundreds of people   primarily young poured out of their vehicles  stopping northbound traffic they made their   way into the southbound lanes and started a  massive bonfire across the vast super highway   the protesters completely blocked the turnpike  leaving a symphony of honking horns that had   zero effect on them they would spend the next  four hours engaging in a carefree attitude while   some chanted anti-war slogans held hands and sang  songs others played frisbee while wandering across   all six lanes eventually the state troopers began  to intersect the scene more than 50 troopers began   to navigate and detour cars onto exits by 10  30 pm all traffic on nearby roads including   interstate 295 and the nearby delaware memorial  bridge moved at a crawling pace after several   people refused to follow police orders they were  arrested at the end of the day over 100 protesters   were incarcerated and 13 vehicles were towed away  even though resistance was intense that night new   jersey eventually got its turnpike back and the  situation was cleared up by the following day   riding along the new jersey turnpike turned into  a source of inspiration and expression for many   artists over the years in 1956 the famous musician  chuck berry wrote a song called you can't catch me   he described being chased by the police on the  turnpike in contemporary poetry and music the   new jersey turnpike was reflective of its times  in the 1950s the turnpike represented efficiency   and freedom and was a source of pride however the  1960s and 70s had a different more negative view   towards the massive highway as the decades passed  artists felt that the turnpike was a sign of   pollution a spoiler to the environment and the  cause of natural angst the simon and garfunkel's   song america probably puts it best with the line  counting the cars on the new jersey turnpike and   they've all gone to look for america by the 1980s  there was a coming to terms with the turnpike   the song state trooper by bruce springsteen begins  with the quote new jersey turnpike riding on a wet   night and he ends the song with deliver me from  nowhere referring to both the turnpike and the   mood of existence when the 1990s arrived the new  jersey turnpike once again became an excellent   testimonial in the hit television show the  sopranos much of the opening credits consist of   cinematic shots from the new jersey turnpike then  in 99 the film being john malkovich was released   the main characters are transferred into the  mind of the actor john malkovich and after   a few minutes they are suddenly dropped  in a ditch along the new jersey turnpike   the turnpike has come a long way since its  opening date in 1951. today its advancement   has evolved into a digital form an automatic  traffic surveillance and control system provides   information to the turnpike traffic operator  center in new brunswick from 965 embedded sensors   and closed circuit tv cameras the system then  uses this information to control the changeable   messages lane use hazard warning and speed limit  signs the system warns motorists of congestion   accidents and adverse weather conditions the  birth of the easy pass in september of 2000   also played a huge role in digital advancements  the easy pass introduced the turnpike to an   electronic toll collection with this discovery the  turnpike introduced toll plazas with express easy   pass lanes allowing ezpass customers to travel  through the plaza area at high speeds ensuring   that this process is observed appropriately they  installed easy pass sensors on overhead cranes   to help monitor traffic and now every toll  lane on the turnpike accepts easypass the   leadership of the new jersey turnpike authority  has also changed currently it is governed by an   eight-member board of commissioners and two seats  are now vacant the governor of new jersey has the   power to appoint new members to the board and  the ability to designate the chairs in 2003   the authority assumed control of the garden state  parkway previously maintained by an agency known   as the new jersey highway authority the future of  the new jersey turnpike is broad turnpike traffic   is rising and a quote widening program has been  implemented the population and employment growth   in central new jersey is estimated to increase by  17.5 percent and 28.2 percent by 2032. northbound   traffic volume is expected to increase by nearly  68 percent and southbound traffic is forecasted   to increase by an astonishing 92 percent with this  being said the new jersey turnpike interchange six   to nine widening program consists of exactly  35 miles of road widening from interchange   6 in mansfield township burlington county to  just south of interchange 9 in east brunswick   township of middlesex county the construction  shall continue and the proposed improvements   to the turnpike include a 12-lane roadway  from interchange 6 to interchange 9 capable   of accommodating projected traffic needs through  the year of 2032. this widening program will cost   about 2.5 billion dollars and decrease congestion  eliminate bottlenecks increase economic activity   in the region and create nearly 20 000 jobs in the  next 18 months but it's never enough this cycle   never ends as the population grows the new jersey  turnpike will be forever updated last year over   200 million toll-paying vehicles journeyed  more than 6 billion miles on the turnpike   generating over 400 million in revenue and we  might safely assume that with the never-ending   construction of the turnpike and its modernization  the traffic on this road will continue to move   for many years to come but it's funny how  contradictions appear throughout history because   as we learned about new jersey in a previous  video there are also many abandoned passages for   railway and perhaps at a time where the turnpike  has exceeded 12 lanes it might be time to   reinvigorate some of those old connections  but you could be the judge by checking out   our video on new jersey's forgotten central line  and i'd like to end this video on something of   a personal note a confession my favorite road  in new jersey is the garden state parkway and   if you'd like us to do a follow-up video on that  topic let us know by subscribing so you won't miss   our new videos every thursday and saturday and  until next time this is ryan socash signing off

Channel: IT'S HISTORY

Views: 382,335

Keywords: tales of urban decay, American history, urban exploring, Ryan Socash, New Jersey (US State), New Jersey Turnpike (Road), NJTP, Turnpike Lane (Location), Toll Road, NJ, FreewayJim, Turnpike, Freeway, Expressway, Interstate, Driving, I-95, United States Of America (Country), Interstate 95 In New Jersey (Road), Elizabeth, Newark (City/Town/Village), The Rolling Stones (Musical Group), Time Waits for No One, Interstate 95 (Road), Drive, New York City (City/Town/Village), Highway, Sopranos

Id: aqxxhYILYmY

Length: 21min 27sec (1287 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 14 2022