ON SCHEDULE AND MORE THAN $200 MILLION UNDER BUDGET, the Interchange 6 to 9 Widening Program between Interchange 6 in Burlington County and Interchange 9 in Middlesex County is nearly complete. Northbound lanes are scheduled to open this weekend. Southbound lanes are scheduled to open next weekend. The Widening doubles capacity on a chronically congested 35-mile stretch of the roadway, adding three lanes in each direction between Interchanges 6 and 8A and one lane in each direction between 8A and 9.

At the peak of construction, the Widening Program was the largest ongoing roadway project in the Western Hemisphere. During this time period, 1,000 workers were employed on the Widening every day. The Widening used 140,000 cubic yards of concrete, 2.4 million tons of asphalt, 123 miles of guardrail, four miles of noise barriers, 17 miles of relocated pipeline, and 140 new over-the-road signs. More than 120,000 new trees were planted in the Turnpike right of way or on public lands in towns along the Widening corridor (about 91,000 trees were removed during construction). There were 17 general contractors, 327 subcontractors, five construction management firms and 21 utility companies involved in construction.