NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Drivers who take the eastbound Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension of the New Jersey Turnpike towards the Holland Tunnel will no longer have the extra shoulder lane, and they're taking the loss of their beloved lane pretty hard.
The Monday morning commute was the first time in more than four years without the extra shoulder lane, which was created to handle traffic while the Pulaski Skyway was out of service for a rehabilitation project.
Drivers came to love the third lane. They told WCBS 880’s Sean Adams that they already miss it and want it back.
“It’ll be every day more traffic. And it’s going to be an inconvenience for everybody. Everybody’s gotta get up earlier. More stress on the normal Joe,” a man said.
"Definitely bring it back," another man said. "Everybody comes in a lot faster, it just gets us over there."
Commuters will have to make do with the two remaining lanes to the Holland Tunnel.
Now it's the extension’s turn for an overhaul: it’s getting a $138 million fixup, including new pavement and bridge decks. That work will last through 2022.