Bayonne Bridge to be Raised

The existing Bayonne Bridge connecting Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York will undergo an amazing feat of engineering.  The road bed will be raised while the existing road is still open to traffic.  The purpose of the project is to provide more clearance for shipping vessels traveling along the Kill von Kull strait. Currently the bridge has a clearance of 151 feet, which is one of the lowest in the United States. After construction the bridge will be 215 feet above the water. The span runs across the busiest shipping channel on the east coast of the United States, and approximately 30 percent of shipping vessels from Maine to Florida pass under the bridge.  Due to the delay of the Panama Canal expansion project, the 2015 old road bed removal date will match up well with the opening of the new, wider canal.  The canal opening is expected to increase the average size of ships around the world (height and width), and many ports in the United States are expanding to accommodate the newer shipping vessels.

The existing bridge will be raised instead of constructing a new span to achieve raising the bridge to the new clearance. The original arch design of the bridge, rather than suspension, allows for the deck to be raised. The bridge will be raised one side at a time allowing for traffic to continue one lane in each direction. Raising the bridge will not only increase the clearance, it will also provide a whole new layout including four 12-foot wide lanes, a 12-foot wide pedestrian path, and the possibility of rail transportation. In addition, the water runoff from the bridge will be collected and released into the city’s water collection system as opposed to traditional systems. The construction will be completed in the second quarter of 2017 and so far the project has $1.29 billion US invested.  The project is not expected to have a large effect on traffic in the area, as the Bayonne Bridge is the least trafficked Port Authority controlled bridge in New York.

Source: SiLive