REHABILITATION PLANNED FOR 94-YEAR-OLD DRAWBRIDGE ON NORTH JERSEY COAST LINE

Board authorizes $4.7 million state-of-good-repair contract

April 12, 2006
NJT-06-048
Contact: Dan Stessel 973-491-7078

NEWARK, NJ ¿ As part of an ongoing effort to maintain New Jersey¿s passenger rail infrastructure in a state-of-good-repair, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today approved a $4.7 million construction contract to restore the Morgan Drawbridge on the North Jersey Coast Line. Located over the Cheesequake Creek in Sayreville, the moveable bridge was constructed in 1912 and carries a total of 74 passenger trains each weekday.

Benefiting NJ TRANSIT customers and marine traffic alike, the repair work will extend the useful life of the bridge and ensure reliable and safe operation for years to come. The contract award to Kiska Construction, Inc. of Long Island City, NY, includes rehabilitation of the mechanism for opening and closing the bridge, as well as other structural and mechanical improvements.

¿We have a responsibility to our residents to keep New Jersey¿s infrastructure in a state-of-good-repair,¿ said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman Kris Kolluri. ¿Projects such as the Morgan Drawbridge rehabilitation reflect our firm commitment to making the necessary investments to keep New Jersey moving.¿

¿This project will improve service reliability for our North Jersey Coast Line customers by ensuring safe and dependable operation of the Morgan Drawbridge,¿ said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director George D. Warrington. ¿We want to ensure that the drawbridge continues to operate reliably for another 94 years.¿

NJ TRANSIT will make every effort to minimize customer impact by conducting the work during off-peak and weekend hours whenever possible. Construction work is expected to begin this spring with anticipated completion in summer 2007.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 827,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 55 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.