McLester Street project in Elizabeth, NJ will reduce truck emissions, allow port to accommodate future cargo growth and provide safer roadways for port drivers
New York, NY, 2014-5-1 — /Travel PR News/ — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced the completion of a project to upgrade North Avenue East and McLester Street, two major, heavily traveled roads in the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal. The $27 million road-widening project consisted of an additional traffic lane in both the northbound and southbound directions, an improved pavement surface, traffic signals, a center barrier, overhead signs, jughandles to allow vehicles to safely turn around and a storm drainage system.
The roadway upgrades are designed to improve traffic flow, reduce fuel consumption and associated air pollution, increase safety for trucks entering and existing the port from North Avenue East and the southern end of McLester Street, reduce congestion and enhance safety for tenant traffic entering and existing McLester Street.
“Upgrading the port’s internal road network will ensure that goods can move efficiently from our port to millions of consumers around our region,” said Port Authority Port Commerce Director Richard Larrabee. “We will continue to improve our roadways to ensure a safer environment for those who work at and transport goods to and from the Port.”
The McLester Street project is part of a $101 million ongoing effort to upgrade the port road network, and the Port Authority anticipates spending an additional $264 million over the next 10 years at its New York and New Jersey port facilities. The additional funding is included in the Port Authority’s 10-year Capital Plan.
Aside from McLester Street, in Port Newark, the Port Authority has invested more than $13.5 million to realign Corbin Street and upgrade the intersections of Corbin and Tyler streets and constructed a new $26 million fly-over ramp over Corbin Street to reduce intra-Port truck traffic. Reduced congestion resulting from the McLester Street and Corbin Street roadway upgrades is projected to result in 60 percent reductions in pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions associated with congestion related truck idling. The Corbin Street fly-over alone will achieve 25 percent reductions in idling emissions resulting from reduced congestion and corresponding reduced delay times during morning and midday peak periods due to the elimination of yard tractors that will now use the flyover instead of port roads.
The Port Authority’s $34.5 million Port Street/Brewster Road project, which will be completed this year, includes the realignment and widening of Port Street, from the north entrance/exit to Newark Liberty International Airport to the north entrance to Port Newark. This includes the installation of a retaining wall along Brewster Road to accommodate a widened Port Street. In addition, design work continues on the $105 million Port Street Corridor Improvement Program, which will ultimately replace the Port/Corbin Street Ramp and the Outer Port Street loop system in Port Newark.
Work to realign, widen, and improve roads at the port is helping to reduce safety concerns at key thoroughfares while improving the flow of traffic. The work also allows freight vehicles to use critical turns at higher speeds, and with greater safety. The current port’s roadway plan is scheduled to be substantially complete by 2019.
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.