Automotive
Interstate 95 gap resolved after decades of local opposition and delays
A missing eight-mile segment near the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border was completed in 2018 through a $425 million interchange project.
The short version
- Interstate 95 operated for decades with an eight-mile disconnect near the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey after local opposition led Congress to cancel a planned New Jersey freeway segment in 1982.
- The gap required rerouting the highway onto existing toll infrastructure and constructing a three-level flyover interchange.
- Federal funding was authorized in 2004, and the $425 million project fully opened to traffic in September 2018.
Key facts
- Local resistance in Mercer County, New Jersey, led Congress to cancel the proposed Somerset Freeway bypass in 1982.[Jalopnik]
- Congress tasked the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission with creating a direct connection using the Delaware River-Turnpike Toll Bridge.[Jalopnik]
- Federal approval and funding authorization were granted in 2004, leading to six years of design work before construction started.[Jalopnik]
- The flyover interchange opened in September 2018 at a reported cost of $425 million, completing continuous passage along the 1,900-mile corridor.[Jalopnik]