News to Note

UTCA Contractors Remove Parkway Toll Plazas



AE Stone, Agate and Sanzari Complete Projects By Deadline

Last year, Governor Codey directed the NJ Turnpike Authority, which operates the Garden State Parkway, to develop a plan to implement alternate tolls at the New Gretna, Great Egg and Cape May toll plazas on the Parkway. Accelerating the construction of alternate toll plazas has aided in relieving roadway congestion for commuters and visitors to the Jersey shore. All three South Jersey contracts were to UTCA members and were required to be completed before Memorial Day.

AE Stone began construction on the New Gretna toll plaza in January 2006. Under the direction of Richard Tyndall, project manager, Dan Hickey, project superintendent, and Ross Williamson, vice president of construction, the firm demolished the south bound toll plazas and reconstructed all four travel lanes. The New Gretna toll plaza originally contained ten toll lanes on the north and south sides of the roadway. After the demolition of the southbound toll plazas, AE Stone began reconstruction of lanes 7-10. Lanes 8-10 were rebuilt for southbound traffic, and lane 7 was reconstructed as a free-flow northbound lane.

During the months of February and March, the firm excavated the grass median and milled the existing roadway between 4-12 inches below the original surface. A four-inch layer of I-2 base was placed by AE Stone followed by two inches of I-4 intermediate and two inches of I-5 top coat. A Cat 650 paver and Cat 1055 paver, as well as a pair of Ingersoll Rand rollers, were used during the paving operation. The firm served as its own asphalt supplier and utilized approximately 10,000 tons of material for this project which stretched approximately 4300 linear feet.

In March and April, Haskill Sitework completed installation of new drainage and in May, Alliance Landscaping completed seeding and installation of erosion matting. Accent Fence installed the steel structure for lane seven which was constructed as a wider lane than the others and will serve as a wide-load EZ Pass lane. Delta Line Construction installed new lighting. Ed Rebstock served as resident engineer for the Turnpike and Turnpike engineer Joe Johnson was also involved with the project.

Further south on the roadway, Agate Construction removed and reconstructed the Cape May toll plaza. This $2.6 million contract required the contractor to remove four southbound toll lanes and one northbound lane. The finished product has two new express EZ Pass lanes on the northbound side and two free-flowing lanes on the southbound side. In early January, Agate forces switched traffic, demolished the toll plazas and placed a temporary barrier. Underground work began with the installation of drainage and electrical duct banks.

Also constructed were 16 pedestals which support a new steel structure for express EZ Pass traffic. Agate completed these pedestals by drilling caisson shafts at depths of 30 feet, and then rebar cages were placed in the shafts. Concrete was then pumped into the shafts, and the pedestal base was built on top of the shaft. Other early construction activities included milling of the roadway to a depth of 14 inches below the original surface. An eight-inch layer of aggregate was placed followed by paving duties.

Arawak Paving repaved the 4000 linear feet of roadway, Zone Striping performed line striping and pavement marking services and J. Fletcher Creamer & Son installed permanent signs and guardrail. Agate also installed a new permanent median barrier which extends 976 linear feet. Diehl Electrical Contractors installed EZ Pass sign structures, and Solar-Mite Electrical Contractors installed lighting and completed toll plaza electrical work. Barrett Asphalt supplied approximately 10,000 tons of asphalt for the project, and Penn Jersey Building Materials supplied concrete and aggregate.

Leading the construction efforts for Agate were Steve Lutz, project manager, Dave Falkenberg, project superintendent, and Jeff Davis, project engineer.

The third project on the Parkway required the removal of the northbound tolls at the Great Egg toll plaza. Joseph M. Sanzari, Inc. began construction in January on this $3 million project. Jeff Conrad, project superintendent, directed the firm's construction activities at the site where the firm demolished the toll plazas and removed a concrete island. After moving traffic, Sanzari forces began excavation and grading on the northbound section of the roadway. Approximately 1500 linear feet of six-inch underdrain was installed, and 300 feet of trench drain, built by hand, was also placed. The elevation of the roadway was lowered, when a cut of up to 3 1/2 feet was completed. AE Stone completed milling and paving on this project which involved the reconstruction of 2500 linear feet of roadway. The company also served as the asphalt supplier for the project. Another subcontractor, Power Concrete, completed a 1700 linear feet concrete median barrier utilizing concrete supplied by Clayton Concrete.

The Sanzari firm also constructed footings and slabs to support EZ Pass structures and modified the inlets. Archer Steel completed the new toll structure, and Traffic Lines performed line striping. Delta Line Construction installed lighting on the project. Equipment utilized by Sanzari included a Komatsu excavator and a Cat excavator, several Komatsu dozers and an Ingersoll Rand roller. Chris Doran of GPI Engineering was the resident engineer for the Authority.

Sanzari forces utilize this dozer for some of the grade work prior to paving.


A.E. Stone personnel are pictured paving at the New Gretna toll plaza.


Agate Construction utilized this excavator for various site work at the Cape May toll plaza. The work included removing the existing toll plazas and constructing two new express EZ Pass lanes.


This train of Arawak trucks is loaded with asphalt for installation on the Agate Cape May toll plaza project. The paving included approximately 4000 linear feet of roadway.