Port works to soften Port Elizabeth curve for truckers

Port works to soften Port Elizabeth curve for truckers    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said that it is making improvements to a notoriously sharp curve in Port Elizabeth, N.J., where truck rollovers sometimes occur.
   The port is widening the curve at between North Avenue and McLester Street and “softening” it in an effort to reduce the number of truck accidents.
   A new section of roadway will have three lanes outbound and two lanes inbound to improve the flow of traffic.
   The port authority expects to award the construction contract in the late spring. The plan is to build the additional roadway adjacent to the existing road to minimize impact to truckers. If the port needs to close lanes during construction, it would be done during off-peak hours, the authority said.
   This work is part of an ongoing effort to improve traffic flow in and out of the port, and to make the roadways safer. Other improvements include better road markings and signage, including the use of electronic message boards to alert drivers to conditions or hazards.
   Dick Jones, executive director of the Bi-State Association of Motor Carriers said the intersection of McLester and North was one of three bad difficult turns in the port — the others are where Corbin Street meets Lyle King Road, and the intersection of Corbin and East Port streets.