 On November 23, two representatives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey made a presentation to the Mayor's Bayonne Bridge Task Force. The Port Authority speakers, Bill Young and Joanne Papageorgis, discussed the various options available for improving navigation in the Kill Van Kull, either with or without the Bayonne Bridge. Young, who grew up in Bayonne, is a Client Manager of Government and Community Relations for the Port Authority, while Papageorgis is a member of the Port Authority's Bridge and Tunnel Working Group. The Mayor's Task Force is a citizens' committee named by Mayor Mark A. Smith. The local group is chaired by attorney James P. Flynn.
The Port Authority speakers summarized the findings of an Army Corps of Engineers report about the bridge. According to the Army Corps, at its current height, the Bayonne Bridge is an obstruction to large container vessels that might otherwise call at the Port of New York and New Jersey through the Kill Van Kull.
The Port Authority, the owner of the bridge, recognizes several possible, preliminary alternatives for the span. They include: 1) "no-build," which means constructing nothing new; 2) modifying or replacing the existing Bayonne Bridge (tunnel, bridge and lift bridge options); 3) developing vessel modifications and /or site-specific landside improvements; 4) removing the Bayonne Bridge clearance restriction; and 5) evaluating other options. The Port Authority is carrying out a study that will look at cost estimates, construction duration, and the constraints and limitations associated with the various options.
According to Flynn, the local Bayonne Bridge Task Force members are most concerned about the impact the various alternatives might have on the Bayonne community. They want to learn more about the pros and cons of the various concepts the Port Authority is considering, Flynn reported. The Port Authority made a commitment to update the Bayonne Bridge Task Force with additional briefings in 2010, Flynn said.
|
Special Announcement
Back To Announcements