The Governor is hereby authorized to enter into a compact, on behalf of the State of New Jersey, with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which compact shall be in substantially the following form:

COMPACT BETWEEN

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey

Authorizing the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, acting alone or in conjunction with each other, to construct, finance, operate and maintain a bridge across the Delaware river.

Whereas , In order to facilitate vehicular traffic between the eastern and western sections of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, heretofore created by the provisions of the Act of Assembly approved the twenty-first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven (Pamphlet Laws 774) has been authorized and empowered by the provisions of said act and of the supplements and amendments thereto to construct, operate and maintain a turnpike from a point on the western boundary line of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to a point at the city of Philadelphia, and pursuant thereto is engaged in the construction, operation and maintenance of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System to carry vehicular traffic from the Pennsylvania-Ohio State line across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to a point at King of Prussia in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, and has been further authorized and empowered by an Act of Assembly to construct, operate and maintain an extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike System to carry such vehicular traffic to a point on or near the Delaware river between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey and there to construct, operate and maintain, either alone or in conjunction with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, or to contract with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority for the construction, operation and maintenance of a bridge across the Delaware river, pursuant to such compact as may be entered into between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey; and

Whereas , The New Jersey Turnpike Authority heretofore created by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority Act of 1948 (Ch. 454, P.L.1948), has been authorized to construct and is constructing a turnpike project across the State of New Jersey from a point at State Highway Route No. 6 approximately three miles westerly from the westerly end of the George Washington Bridge to a point in the county of Salem at or near Deepwater to a connection with a new bridge across the Delaware river now under construction, and has been further authorized and empowered to construct, operate and maintain an extension to a point on or near the Delaware river, between the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and there to construct, operate and maintain, either alone or in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission or to contract with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for the construction, operation and maintenance of, a bridge across the Delaware river, to connect with the Pennsylvania Turnpike System, pursuant to such compact as may be entered into between the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and

Whereas , It is necessary that a bridge be provided across the Delaware river in order to form a connection between the Pennsylvania Turnpike System and the New Jersey turnpike and that provision be made for the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of said bridge under such agreement or agreements as may be entered into between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority;

Now, Therefore , The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey do hereby solemnly covenant and agree with each other, as follows:

L.1951, c. 285, p. 1023, s. 1.