Friday, April 29, 2016

Bayonne Bridge to close Friday night, reopen Monday

SILive.com: "To accommodate "Raise the Roadway" construction and minimize traffic, the bridge will close at 9 p.m. Friday and reopen at 5 a.m. Monday."

Port Authority: 95th Anniversary of the Port Compact of 1921

Port Authority|: "As far back as the 19th century, New York and New Jersey squabbled over the jurisdictional rights of the Hudson River, once even drawing an imaginary line down the middle of the river, which didn’t really help matters along.  The rivalry only got worse during World War I when congestion in New York Harbor became unmanageable."

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Don't miss the boat on shipping

Baltimore Sun: "Even before the Post-Panamax ships come calling, many of our ports already suffer from severe congestion, which slows down shipping and increases costs for consumers. For example, while the Port of Baltimore has the appropriate depth, a critical nearby rail tunnel is more than 140 years old. That Civil War-era tunnel is not tall enough to allow for trains double-stacked with containers to pass through, creating a cargo bottle neck. In New York, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is raising the height of the Bayonne Bridge from 151 feet to 215 feet to accommodate larger ships that need to enter the port."

Monday, April 25, 2016

Port Authority is Spending $1.3B to Raise the Bayonne Bridge 64 Feet. Why?

Jersey Digs: "Why exactly are we investing so heavily in raising the bridge? Well, according to New York YIMBY, who published a great piece detailing the project, it’s the direct result of another mega-project 2,200 miles away. Finishing up later this year, the Panama Canal locks have undergone an expansion to accommodate new, larger container ships. As a result, the ports in the NYC area need to be able to service these ships. Currently, the Bayonne Bridge would prevent these new ships from reaching the Ports of Newark, Elizabeth and Staten Island’s Howland Hook."

Saturday, April 23, 2016

How Should Astoria Celebrate the Hell Gate Bridge's 100th Anniversary?

DNAinfo.com New York: "Community leaders are planning a centennial for the hulking red span, which connects Queens and the Bronx by way of the East River, and will hold a public meeting in Astoria Tuesday to solicit ideas on how it should celebrate the milestone."

WATCH: Time-Lapse Video Shows Cranes Working On Bayonne...

WATCH: Time-Lapse Video Shows Cranes Working On Bayonne...: "The project marks the first time engineers are building a bridge roadway above the original span, even as the lower road continues to carry traffic,” a Port Authority blog post states. “It will maintain the steel arch that makes the Bayonne Bridge a civil engineering landmark, while giving drivers a safer, wider and more modern roadway with 12-foot lanes, new shoulders, a median divider, and a 12-foot bike and pedestrian walkway"

Raising the Road on America’s Largest Suspended Arch Bridge

New York YIMBY: "In general, new construction reflects local real estate demand and community needs. But given New York’s position as a global economic hub, it is not surprising that one of the city’s largest engineering efforts is a direct response to a megaproject 2,200 miles away. The suspended roadbed of the 84-year-old Bayonne Bridge, which spans the Kill Van Kull strait between Staten Island and Bayonne, N.J., is too low for passage of the latest, giant container ships built to traverse the expanded Panama Canal locks."

Friday, April 22, 2016

Push to expand capacity of jam-packed Outerbridge Crossing

SILive.com: "Borelli gave the Port Authority credit for its projects to raise the Bayonne Bridge and rebuild the Goethals, but knowing how long of a process it is to complete the Environmental Impact Statement process and everything in between before construction can begin, he hopes the agency will get started soon."

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Bayonne Bridge will remain open this weekend for Passover observance

NJ.com: "The Bayonne Bridge will remain open from 5 a.m. tomorrow through 9 a.m. Monday for the observance of Passover, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey."

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Panama Canal threatens West Coast ports' regained market share

JOC.com: "Wheeler said that initially the current strings of vessels with capacities up to 5,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units will be upgraded to about 8,000-TEUs. In late 2017 or shortly thereafter, when the Bayonne Bridge in New Jersey is raised and bigger ships can be accommodated at the largest East Coast port of New York and New Jersey, vessels of 10,000- to 12,000-TEU capacity will be introduced into all-water services through the Panama Canal, he said."

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Container lines can reserve neo-Panamax transits through expanded canal

JOC.com: "Ships that receive bookings must arrive at the canal by 10 p.m. local time the day before their transit. If a ship is late, the cost of transit goes up by 25 percent for each hour until the fourth hour, after which the cost of sailing will be equivalent to one additional transit.

Click to Enlarge
Cancellation fees vary depending on the time frame within which the cancellation occurs, and transits canceled with less than 36-hours notice will have to be paid in full.

Slots will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis that takes into account current booking rules, customer ranking and “other tie-breaker criteria.”"

Bayonne Bridge construction project continues

NJ.com: "The bridge will remain open from 5 a.m. this Friday through 9 a.m. Monday for Passover weekend."

Monday, April 18, 2016

City announces updates to Bayonne Bridge construction project

NJ.com: "Bayonne Bridge travel alerts and advisories: Port Authority Bridge and Tunnel Alerts is a free subscription service that notifies customers of 20 minute holds, bridge closures, incidents or events that may delay trips across the Bayonne Bridge or other Port Authority bridges and tunnels. Go to http://www.paalerts.com  and click on Register for Port Authority Alerts"

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Deutsche Bank to sell Maher Terminals at Port of NY-NJ

JOC.com: "The port’s deepening to 50 feet will be complete in June following a delay due to Hurricane Sandy, and the Bayonne Bridge raising will be done by the end of 2017. At that point the coast will be clear for most of the largest ships in the world to call the port, putting pressure on the terminals and port authority to boost productivity. There is no chassis pool yet and appointment systems are in their infancy."

Friday, April 15, 2016

Another Staten Island Expressway calamity (editorial)

SILive.com: "Congestion filtered back as far as the Outerbridge Crossing. Thankfully, the Bayonne Bridge's regularly scheduled, construction-related shutdown was delayed for two hours, giving motorists at least one way to escape the borough, if that was their goal."

Bayonne Bridge to Close This Weekend - Bayonne NJ News

TAPinto: "The Bayonne Bridge will close from 9 p.m. Friday, April 15 through 8 a.m. Sunday, April 17 to accommodate ongoing construction work for the “Raise the Roadway” project.

Next week, the bridge will remain open from 5 a.m. Friday, April 22 through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, April 23, for the celebration of Passover."

Port of NY & NJ Plans for 30 Years of Growth

Port of NY & NJ Plans for 30 Years of Growth: "The largest container vessels cannot presently call at its largest facilities, which suffer from an air draft restriction imposed by the Bayonne Bridge, with a clearance of 150 feet. Contractors are presently working on raising the roadway further up the span's arch to bring maximum air draft to 215 feet – sufficient to handle New Panamax vessels – and the improved clearance is expected for late 2017, with full completion in mid-2019."

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Traffic moving again on Staten Island Expressway

SILive.com: "The Bayonne Bridge, an alternate traffic route for commuters, remained open, during the traffic jam. The Bayonne was closed for construction at 11 a.m. and was scheduled to reopen at 3 p.m. for the evening rush hour."

The Top 10 Secrets of the Bayonne Bridge

Untapped Cities: "Though not one of New York City’s most famous bridges, the Bayonne Bridge was a record breaking bridge – longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge – and changes are en route for this connection that stretches between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey. With help from Bridge Man, Dave Frieder, here are 10 secrets of the Bayonne Bridge:"


The Bayonne Bridge project progresses while you sleep

SILive.com: "A video and photos produced by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey provide an up close view of the work of the two giant cranes — one at either end of the bridge — that are laying down the roadbed."

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Vying For #1

Working Harbor Committee: "The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has issued a request for proposals (PDF download) – calling for a 30-year master plan for the Port of NY/NJ to help boost cargo volumes and revenues."

NY-NJ port to develop master plan

JOC.com: "The $1.3 billion project to raise the Bayonne Bridge’s roadway for clearance by larger ships will produce additional changes to cargo flows within the port. The roadway-raising part of that project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2017."

Bayonne Bridge to close 90 minutes earlier each night

NJ.com: "The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Friday that the bridge — which had been closing at 8:30 every Monday through Thursday, will now shut down at 7 p.m. each of those nights. The bridge reopens at 5 a.m., and the weekday schedule of daytime closures will remain the same."

Monday, April 11, 2016

A look at the history of New York City’s tunnels and bridges

NY Daily News: "There are more than 2,000 bridges and tunnels in and around New York City. Some, of course, are better known — and more expensive — than others."

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Bayonne Bridge to close 90 minutes earlier each night

NJ.com: "The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced today that the bridge -- which had been closing at 8:30 every Monday through Thursday, will now shut down at 7 p.m. each of those nights. The bridge reopens at 5 a.m. and the weekday schedule of daytime closures will remain the same."

Friday, April 8, 2016

Bayonne Bridge to close this weekend for construction

SILive.com: "To accommodate "Raise the Roadway" construction and minimize traffic, the bridge will close at 9 p.m. Friday and reopen at 5 a.m. Monday."

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Hapag-Lloyd Eyes Impact of New Grand

Hapag-Lloyd Eyes Impact of New Grand: "The expansion of the Panama Canal has set in motion a whole chain of logistics projects. And they aren’t always completed on time. For example, the Bayonne Bridge at the entrance to the important Port of New York will not have the higher clearance needed for bigger ships before 2017."

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

MTA commits to new West Shore light rail study

SILive.com: "The proposed West Shore light rail would run about 13 miles from Richmond Valley to Elm Park, carrying Island commuters over the Bayonne Bridge to connect with New Jersey Transit's Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line."

Monday, April 4, 2016

Port of New York & New Jersey: Dealing with success

AJOT.COM: "The Bayonne Bridge roadway is being raised to accommodate the new breed of megaships. That project’s timetable was revised a few months ago."

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Panama Canal Expansion to Officially Open June 2016

Working Harbor Committee: "Originally scheduled for October 2014, the official inauguration of the “third locks” is scheduled for June 26, 2016 after multiple delays due to materials failures, disputes over costs, and worker strikes."