N.Y.-N.J. votes $1 billion for Bayonne Bridge fix

N.Y.-N.J. votes $1 billion for Bayonne Bridge fix    Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commissioners Tuesday provided up to $1 billion in its capital planning process to help finance a solution to the Bayonne Bridge height issue.
   The port authority has repeatedly called a high priority its replacing or modifying the bridge to allow larger ships to call its Staten Island and in Newark and Elizabeth, N.J., terminals. But it is still studying options on the best way to solve the problem. Bigger ships are expected to call New York and other East Coast ports when the expanded Panama Canal opens in 2014.
   Joseph C. Curto, president of the New York Shipping Association Inc., said the action was “great news” for the port and customers.
   “The Bayonne Bridge air gap problem has been a significant concern to the members of our association for several years,” he said. Tuesday’s action was “most gratifying and couldn't come at a better time.”
   The port last year received an analysis from the Army Corps of Engineers that identified several possibilities to solving the clearance problem presented by the bridge, including modifying the existing bridge by jacking the current 151-foot road deck, building a new taller bridge, or creating a tunnel below the river.
   More recently the port has also looked at less-expensive alternatives, such as creating a lift bridge mechanism at the center of the span. Further dredging the waterway beneath the bridge and building a lock so ships could be lowered to pass beneath the bridge has also been studied, but is considered unlikely.
   Following the Corps of Engineers study, the port authorized additional study, slated for completion at the end of the year, to pick the most viable option, do some preliminary engineering work and environmental screening as well see if the project is has a favorable cost/benefit ration on a regional basis. The Corps found the cost/benefit balance was favorable on a national level.
   In June, the board agreed to retain nationally known consulting teams to provide technical information on environmental and regulatory issues related to the Bayonne Bridge project. The consultant teams are developing ways to expedite the environmental review process, including the National Environmental Policy Act requirements, and other applicable regulations. ' Chris Dupin