05/28/2026
WHAT PROGRESS LOOKED LIKE IN 1962: For the first decade of the Turnpike's existence, roadway signs warning of snow, ice, fog, congestion, accidents, and other roadway hazards ahead were operated manually by State Police troopers.
In May 1962, the Turnpike Authority installed and activated the first-ever radio-controlled traffic warning system on a U.S. superhighway. The system allowed the Turnpike Authority to activate the 67 roadway warning signs spread along the Turnpike by pressing a few buttons at Turnpike Authority headquarters in New Brunswick.
"This represents a great step forward in the Authority's continuing program to increase the safety and comfort for the millions of motorists who use the Turnpike every year," Turnpike Authority Chairman Joseph Morecraft Jr. told the Bayonne Times.