At their meeting on June 25, 2015, the Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved a $65.1 million project to overhaul signage for the George Washington Bridge. The action entails upgrading and replacing the current Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) with variable message signs, vehicle detectors, traffic cameras, travel time readers, and a weather information station that connects to the TRANSCOM network.
TRANSCOM is a consortium that operates a regional traffic management system and provides information to all member agencies for radio reports, highway signs, traffic apps, and other methods of dissemination.
Prior to this action, the Board of Commissioners approved the replacement of 15 obsolete variable message signs to support traffic operations. This vote was made in 2014.
Signs due for replacement are located on the New Jersey Turnpike, Interstate 80, Route 4, and Route 46. They provide travel time information from given points on bridge approach roads and can offer advisories regarding weather conditions and speed reductions.
The world’s busiest crossing, the George Washington Bridge accommodates some 300,000 vehicles each day.
The new highway signs and related infrastructure will be installed beginning in the fourth quarter of 2017. The project will complete by the second quarter of 2020.