M&E LINES VIADUCT AND WATERPROOFING PROJECT BEGINS AT BRICK CHURCH

Projects Fall in Line with NJ TRANSIT’s State of Good Repair Initiatives

EAST ORANGE, NJ – NJ TRANSIT Executive Director George D. Warrington today was joined today by East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser and members of the City Council to celebrate the start of the Corporation's highly anticipated viaduct and waterproofing rehabilitation project at Brick Church Station.

“This is a project that is long overdue on structures that are critical to this important transportation corridor,” Warrington said. “After 80 years of use, these historic stations and viaducts are in need of extensive structural repairs to prevent any further deterioration. This project is fundamental to my ‘Back to Basics’ program and is a prime example of our ongoing need to invest in our infrastructure in order to continue operating a reliable service.”

“The structural rehabilitation of the Brick Church Station fits well with our strategic redevelopment efforts since it is the designated stop for NJ TRANSIT’s MidTOWN DIRECT service,” Mayor Bowser said. “These long-awaited improvements will provide commuters the benefit of a modernized rail station from which they will be able to make the 18-minute ride to Manhattan in safety and comfort. Additionally, as soon as the work is completed, it will provide us the opportunity to consider additional redevelopment under the viaduct which will become part of the overall commercial redevelopment of the entire Brick Church Area.”

More than 1,200 commuters board the Brick Church Station each weekday. The station is also the first of three on the Morris & Essex Lines – including East Orange and South Orange stations – that will receive much needed viaduct rehabilitation and waterproofing. In February, NJ TRANSIT’s Board of Directors authorized a $22.9 million to E.E. Cruz & Company of Holmdel to do the repairs, which has already begun at the station.

The project is expected to be completed in spring 2006, and will include:

· Demolition and re-construction of exterior stairs.

· Full viaduct repair and waterproofing structures.

· Improved track-bed and platform drainage.

Work to South Orange and East Orange stations will follow once Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accessibilities improvements are completed in the next few months. Work done to these two stations include:

· Construction of mini high-level platforms.

· Installation of elevators for both inbound and outbound train service.

· Demolition, waterproofing and reconstruction of platforms and canopy extensions.

The Morris & Essex Lines’ viaducts are historic structures and are considered an important part of railroad history in the nation. It is also the second busiest line within the Corporation’s operating system – next to the Northeast Corridor – and will require close maintenance, construction and scheduling coordination with the railroad to minimize impacts on customers during the duration of the project.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 752,600 daily trips on 240 bus routes, two light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 29 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.