N.Y., N.J. Port Authority Moves Up Bayonne Bridge Timetable

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Wednesday it intends to finish raising the Bayonne Bridge six months early, in fall 2015.

That schedule, officials said, will be in time to accommodate large cargo ships expected to travel up to the East Coast after the Panama Canal widens. The bridge, which the authority plans to raise to by 64 feet to 215 feet, connects Bayonne, N.J., to New York City’s Staten Island borough across the Kill Van Kull waterway.

Speaking on a conference call, chairman David Samson and executive director Patrick Foye expected the cost to remain at $1 billion. They also said the timetable for the project, which the authority calls “Raise the Roadway,” does not hinge on approval of its request to the federal government for expedited review, though they anticipate such approval.

President Obama issued an executive order on March 28 to improve the permitting process for infrastructure projects.

“This is critical for both the Port Authority and the region,” Samson told reporters. “Competition is fierce among all the ports on the East Coast. All are preparing for the widening of the Panama Canal.”

Samson and Foye expect federal approval for the project by year’s end, with state and local approvals shortly thereafter.

Quoting Panama Canal officials, Samson said construction delays and follow-up testing will push the canal widening well into 2015.

Some preliminary work, such as rust stripping, has begun on the Bayonne Bridge. Work will begin in earnest in mid-2013 when crews begin to build the new elevated roadway. Officials said traffic disruptions on the toll bridge will be minimal.

Other major current Port Authority projects include the construction of a new Goethals Bridge and replacing the original cables on the George Washington Bridge. Those crossings also connect parts of New York City with New Jersey.

The authority cited the need to support infrastructure projects and preserve its access to the capital markets last August when it approved a series of toll and fare increases.

One Staten Island congressman, Rep. Michael Grimm, has threatened to try to block state funding for the Bayonne Bridge unless the Port Authority releases a study on the impact of toll increases on borough businesses.

Grimm, a Republican, cited the intention of two shipping firms at Staten Island-based New York Container Terminal yard -- New World Alliance and Grand Alliance -- to move to New Jersey when their contracts expire on July 31. Both blamed the toll increases.

The authority said it has yet to complete the study.

Asked about the toll dispute, Samson said, “You can talk about the tolls, but nobody on this end is going to say anything.”

Moody’s Investors Service rates the Port Authority’s bonds Aa2 with a negative outlook, while Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings assign and AA-minus and stable.

Also on Wednesday, the authority pre-qualified five construction teams seeking to bid on the project.

They include:

American Bridge (American Bridge, Tutor-Perini, Traylor Brothers);

Bayonne Bridge Builders, a joint venture (Schiavone Construction Co. LLC, Granite Construction Northeast Inc., Yonkers Contracting Co., Defoe Corp.);

CRJD Bayonne (Conti Enterprises Inc., J.H. Reid General Contractor, Judlau Contracting Inc., Dywidag-Systems International USA Inc.);

Flatiron/EE Cruz/Tully, a joint venture (Flatiron Constructors Inc., E.E. Cruz and Co., Tully Construction); and

Skanska Koch – Kiewit joint venture team (Skanska Koch, Kiewit Infrastructure Co.)

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Transportation industry New York New Jersey
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