NJ Transit issues bid invitation for second construction contract for Raritan River Bridge

New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) issued an Invitation to Bid (IFB) for the second construction contract to replace the 113-year-old Raritan River Bridge. The Superstorm Sandy-damaged bridge connects South Amboy and Perth Amboy and is the sole rail link for 17 of the 20 stations on the North Jersey Coast Line.

The double-track bridge was built in 1908 and its approach girder spans were moved out of alignment by Superstorm Sandy’s ocean surge. The damage from the storm caused an 18-day outage of both rail and marine traffic and has resulted in recurring maintenance issues.

Pre-approved firms will have until March 24, 2022, to submit information for the current IFB. The second construction contract includes the lift bridge and flanking spans superstructure, communications, signal and overhead catenary work. NJ Transit says included within this contract will be all the systems required for the movable span testing and operation, and the erection of the four main span monopoles previously designed, fabricated and tested in the scope of the first construction contract. Additionally, this contract will include miscellaneous civil and structural work, wetland mitigation work and the demolition of the existing bridge as necessary to construct the bridge fender system, as well as to provide a fully functioning navigational channel beneath the newly constructed bridge.

Construction on the Raritan River Bridge Replacement Project, which is one of the largest resiliency projects following Superstorm Sandy, began in September 2020. The first construction contract was awarded to George Harms Construction in June 2020 and includes replacement of the bridge approach spans, lift bridge and flanking span piers and associated land work.

“We are pleased to be another step closer to completing an improved, modern and more resilient Raritan River Bridge for our North Jersey Coast Line customers,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “NJ Transit has continued to advance critical infrastructure projects such as the Raritan River Bridge throughout the pandemic, which is essential to delivering safe and reliable transit services for generations to come.”

The replacement project will construct a bridge with improved vertical and horizontal alignment, such as including an additional vertical clearance above the 100-year flood elevation and moving the western alignment farther away from the ocean to improve flood resilience and increase the design speed of trains on the bridge. NJ Transit explains the introduction of new mechanical and electrical systems would provide for more reliable movable span operations, resulting in reduced maintenance costs from current thresholds.

The new bridge will also support improved navigation channel geometry that will reduce the risk of vessel collision and the costly repairs associated with those collisions.