The Basilone Memorial Bridge is a bridge on the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although ma ...

(

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

) in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

spanning the

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

. The bridge connects Edison on the north with

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

on the south. The bridge, which opened along with the Turnpike in November 1951, is named for

John Basilone John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumou ...

, a

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

who grew up in nearby

Raritan, New Jersey Raritan is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,835, its highest decennial census count ever and an ...

. The

New Jersey Turnpike Authority The New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) is a state agency responsible for maintaining the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, which are two toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The agency is headquartered in Woodbridge Town ...

began a $172 million reconstruction project in January 2022.Loyer, Susan
"NJ Turnpike bridge in Middlesex County will get $172 million makeover"
''

Courier News The ''Courier News'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, that serves Somerset County and other areas of Central Jersey. The paper has been owned by Gannett since 1927. Notable employees *John Curley, former presi ...

'', January 27, 2022. Accessed January 28, 2025. "The $172.7 million plan calls for the reconstruction of the bridge deck, structural steel repairs, superstructure strengthening and miscellaneous repairs, according to the Turnpike Authority, as well as the reconstruction of the median barrier and guiderail on the bridge approach roadways.... The bridge, which connects New Brunswick and Edison, dates to the opening of the Turnpike in 1951, when it was dedicated in honor of U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. John A. Basilone, a World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor and Raritan native." Memorials for the bridge can be found at both the northbound Joyce Kilmer Travel Plaza and southbound Thomas Edison Travel Plaza.

References

1951 establishments in New Jersey Toll bridges in New Jersey Bridges over the Raritan River Bridges in Middlesex County, New Jersey Bridges completed in 1951 New Jersey Turnpike Road bridges in New Jersey Edison, New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey Interstate 95 Bridges on the Interstate Highway System {{NewJersey-bridge-struct-stub

See also

References