New York, NY, United States, 2013-10-11 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will complete its pavement replacement project at the Outerbridge Crossing tonight, October 10, and resume 24/7 operations at the 85-year-old span connecting Perth Amboy, NJ to Staten Island tomorrow morning. Overnight closures of the span and aggressive efforts by the construction team overseeing the work enabled completion of the project three weeks ahead of schedule.
The agency last repaved the Outerbridge Crossing in the early 2000s and its roadway surface had since reached the end of its useful life. The repaved surface maintains the roadway in a state of good repair and ensures safer travel for motorists who use it. This is the first of three important projects to be completed among the bridges connecting Staten Island and New Jersey.
The project started on July 9 with weekday overnight closures, which permitted the Port Authority to complete the pavement replacement in just three months. The reopening enables the agency to keep the bridge open in both directions while construction on the Bayonne Bridge, Pulaski Skyway and Verrazano Bridge is underway.
“The project team at the Outerbridge Crossing did an excellent job over the past three months, allowing us to finish several weeks ahead of schedule,” said Roger Prince, general manager of the Staten Island Bridges. “I want to thank the traveling public for their patience while we made these necessary repairs. The result is a smoother, safer riding surface and a significant reduction in traffic impacts resulting from routine roadway maintenance. Completing the project in 2013 ensures the Outerbridge Crossing will be open 24/7 over the next several years as the Port Authority and our sister agencies embark on several large scale bridge projects throughout the region.”
Other projects underway in the Port Authority’s Staten Island Bridge Revitalization Program include building a replacement for the Goethals Bridge and the raising of the Bayonne Bridge roadway to allow larger ships to pass under it to access port terminals. These Port Authority projects are expected to generate approximately 5,000 jobs, $600 million in wages and $2.5 billion in economic activity in the region.
For up-to-the-minute traffic updates at all Port Authority crossings, motorists are encouraged to sign up for Port Authority alerts at http://www.paalerts.com/.
CONTACT:
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 212-435-7777
Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where construction crews are building the iconic One World Trade Center, which is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov.