The Coast Guard has completed an environmental assessment of a plan by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to increase the clearance or “air draft” beneath the Bayonne Bridge from 151 feet to 215 feet and found no significant impact, meaning a permit can be issued so work can begin on the project.
Raising the roadway will allow larger container vessels to traverse the Kill Van Kull to reach terminals in Newark and Elizabeth, N.J. More big ships are expected to call the port when expansion of the Panama Canal is complete in 2015.
Last month the port authority awarded a contract for the project, which will involve building a second roadway above the existing roadway, then demolishing the lower span. The agency plans to keep the bridge open as construction is carried out. – Chris Dupin
Bayonne Bridge fix can move forward
