Wittpenn Bridge
Current span of the bridge
Coordinates40°44′26″N 74°04′53″W / 40.740625°N 74.081336°W / 40.740625; -74.081336 (Wittpenn Bridge)
Carries Route 7
Future East Coast Greenway
CrossesHackensack River
LocaleJersey City and Kearny, New Jersey
Official nameWittpenn Bridge
Other name(s)Route 7 Bridge
Maintained byNew Jersey Department of Transportation
ID number0909150[1]
Characteristics
DesignLift bridge
Total length2,169 feet (661 m)
Width40 feet (12 m)
Longest span83 feet (25 m)
Clearance below35 feet (11 m) (lowered)
100 feet (30 m) (raised)
History
OpenedNovember 5, 1930 (original bridge) October 2, 2021 (replacement bridge)
Location

The Wittpenn Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that carries New Jersey Route 7 over the Hackensack River in Jersey City and Kearny, in Hudson County, New Jersey. It is named after H. Otto Wittpenn, a former mayor of Jersey City. The bridge has an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of nearly 50,000 vehicles, including about 2,000 trucks.[2] In 2005, the bridge was raised 80 times to accommodate boats passing underneath.[2] The original span opened in 1930; its replacement opened in 2021.

Original structure

The original Wittpenn Bridge, looking east in a 2004 photo

The original bridge carried four 10-foot-wide (3.0 m) lanes, extended 2,169 feet (661 m) and stood 35 feet (11 m) above mean high water with a 209-foot (64 m) main lift span. Bridge construction commenced in 1927, and it was opened to vehicular traffic on November 5, 1930. When raised, the bridge provided 100 feet (30 m) of clearance for ships. Raising the lift span required 15 minutes. Following the opening of the 2021 span, demolition work commenced on this span with work being substantially complete by March 2022.[3]

Replacement

New bridge approach in Kearny, 2020

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) replaced the Wittpenn Bridge and all its approach ramps (including connections to U.S. Route 1/9), a project estimated to cost $600 million, funded by federal dollars. The first phase of construction began in July 2011. The new span opened in 2021, and all associated project work is expected to be completed in 2022.[4] The new bridge is situated just north of the existing bridge.[5]

The reconstruction of the bridge was partially funded by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.[6] In November 2018, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) investigated a complaint raised by United Airlines that the fees they were paying for Newark Airport use were being diverted to roadway and bridge projects such as the Wittpenn Bridge which are not owned or operated by the Port Authority.[7]

In October 2020 the third and final section of the orthotropic bridge deck was hoisted into place.[8] The bridge opened on October 2, 2021.[9][10]

In addition to Route 7, the new span carries the East Coast Greenway, a long-distance biking and walking trail, and the Meadowlands Connector, a New Jersey biking and walking trail that links Hudson and Essex counties.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Historic Bridge Survey (1991–1994)" (PDF). NJDOT. 2001. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Franklin, Thomas E. (April 11, 2005). "Picture this: Drawbridge Operator". The Record. Archived from the original on March 8, 2006.
  3. ↑ Thomas, William (March 30, 2022). "Engineered Rigging overcomes bridge demolition challenges". Move It Magazine. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  4. ↑ McDonald, Terrence T. (December 21, 2016). "5 years done, 6 to go for new $480M Wittpenn Bridge".
  5. ↑ Conti Group (2011). "Conti to Kick off Wittpenn Bridge Repairs" 2011-07-18.
  6. ↑ Higgs, Larry (May 14, 2015). "Another new bridge quietly rises in shadow of the Pulaski Skyway". NJ.com.
  7. ↑ Higgs, Larry (January 29, 2019). "Feds question Port Authority's use of airline fees to fund bridge projects". NJ.com.
  8. ↑ Higgs, Larry (October 11, 2020). "Section of new Wittpenn Bridge hoisted into place -- but it's not ready to open yet".
  9. ↑ Canessa Jr., Kevin (September 21, 2021). "New Wittpenn Bridge is opening Oct. 1 and it's welcome news for Hudson drivers". NJ.com. The Jersey Journal. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  10. ↑ Strunsky, Steve (October 2, 2021). "New Wittpenn Bridge opens after 10 years and half a billion dollars". nj. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  11. ↑ Strunsky, Steve (March 27, 2017). "New bike, walking trail would link N.J.'s 2 largest cities". Retrieved March 27, 2017.
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