N.Y.-N.J. Port Authority funds Bayonne Bridge study

N.Y.-N.J. Port Authority funds Bayonne Bridge study    There is about 151 feet between the bottom of the Bayonne Bridge to the surface of the Kill van Kull, the waterway that leads from Upper New York Bay to Newark Bay and Staten Island where most of the major container terminals in the Port of New York are located.
   That limited clearance or 'air draft' — which is among the most restrictive among very large container ports — has garnered increased concern by both terminals operators in the port and container shipping companies in recent years as ships have gotten larger.
   The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board said Thursday it will provide $300,000 to the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a study, with the assistance of Coast Guard of the impact of the limited air draft of the Bayonne Bridge air draft on future trade, navigational safety, security and transportation economics in the port.
   The agency has said as ocean carriers introduce larger ships that can take advantage of the 50-feet channels the port is dredging in the harbor, they may have to modify vessels by incorporating features such as radio antenna and masts on ships that can fold down, or only sail beneath the bridge at low tide.
   'The recent decision to widen and deepen the Panama Canal could amplify the significance of the Bayonne Bridge limitation in terms of navigational safety and regional cargo flows,' the board noted in the resolution authorizing the study. While today the Panama Canal can only handle ships carrying up to 5,000 TEUs, with wider locks and deeper and wider access channels, the new lane of the Panama Canal will be able to accommodate ships carrying 10,000 to 12,000 TEUs.
   The agency said the air draft of the Bayonne Bridge presents a limitation for vessels that carry 6,000 to 8,000 TEUs, depending on vessel design.
   The agency said that lack of such action by the port authority could lead to a number vessels and shippers diverting to other ports.
   The proposed action would result in a preliminary assessment of short-term operational alternatives and long-term solutions.
   But replacement of the Bayonne Bridge may be some time off. The agency is still in the planning and design stages for a another span between Staten Island and New Jersey, the Goethals Bridge.
   The agency said it expects a final report from the Corps in about one year.