NJ Transit awards construction contract to Skanska Koch Inc.
The New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) Board of Directors is moving to the next step for construction of the new Raritan River Bridge on the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL) by awarding a second construction contract to Skanska Koch Inc of Carteret, N.J.
The contract encompasses the lift portion of the bridge, spanning over the Raritan River between Perth Amboy and South Amboy and will have a center span that lifts vertically to allow for marine traffic to pass underneath. It will replace the current 116-year-old swing bridge, which spins open.
The first contract was awarded to George Harms Construction for the initial construction phase of the Raritan River Bridge replacement project.
“Today’s board authorization advances one of NJ Transit’s most critical resiliency projects, ensuring a more reliable and robust rail link for thousands of daily customers on the North Jersey Coast Line,” said former NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “The new Raritan River Bridge will replace a century-old structure, significantly enhancing both operational efficiency and our preparedness for extreme weather events.”
The construction contract agreement includes an amount not to exceed $444,380,524, plus five percent for contingencies for the construction of the lift bridge and flanking spans, communication, signals, overhead catenary and other associated site work.
The replacement bridge will be a vertical lift bridge providing a new two-track movable span across the Raritan River, slightly offset from the original alignment and linking back to the existing NJCL mainline tracks at its northern and southern ends.
The existing Raritan River Bridge is a movable swing-span bridge. The bridge is the sole rail link for 17 of the 20 NJCL stations to connect to Newark and Manhattan, N.Y., situated between the Perth Amboy and South Amboy rail stations. The NJCL provides service to approximately 11,400 daily customers making approximately 22,800 average weekday passenger trips and accommodates Conrail freight rail services.
NJ Transit notes the current bridge has been in service since 1908 and was not designed to withstand the lateral forces due to ocean surges. Consequently, while currently still safe for train travel, the bridge suffered significant damage during Superstorm Sandy, including movement of the bridge deck out of its normal alignment due to ocean surges against the bridge superstructure and the impact of large, wave-borne debris bearing against the bridge girders.
