The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) has began construction works on the $220 million Port Street Corridor Improvement project to rebuild Port Newark’s northern entrance at Port and Corbin streets.
The interchange serves as a crucial link to the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 78 and provides access to one of the Port Authority’s marine facilities that make up the largest and busiest cargo gateway on the East Coast, reported PANYNJ.
The redesign is set feature a more efficient roadway configuration with a wider turning radius, allowing for safer trucking operations to and from the Port Newark complex.
The improvements also aim to offer truck drivers significant time savings while they navigate the complex, enhancing efficiency and reliability across the supply chain as well as significantly reducing carbon emissions each year.
The project received a $44 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) programme in July 2021.
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PANYNJ anticipates that works will generate $25 million in direct wages and $171 million in regional economic activity. Work is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
The enhancements will reportedly save 700,000 hours of travel time for vehicles accessing the complex in the first full year following project completion.
The estimated savings of vehicle travel times will also improve air quality around the complex. The changes are expected to reduce average annual fuel consumption by approximately 70,000 gallons and result in the avoidance of approximately 750 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
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The Port Street Corridor Improvement project aligns with the Port Authority’s goals to maintain and update the seaport complex and remain on track for the cargo demand anticipated in the Port Master Plan 2050. The comprehensive roadmap of capital improvements is guiding growth and development at the seaport complex as it prepares to handle a forecasted doubling or tripling of cargo volume by 2050.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen first-hand the importance of keeping every link in our supply chain robust and ready,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.
“This project does exactly that, modernising access points at this critical gateway so we can make sure everything from food and clothes to cars and electronics is arriving on time for the millions of consumers in the region, while also injecting money into the local economy by prioritising the hiring of local contractors and workers.”
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“This project will mean a safer, faster trip for trucks and other vehicles serving our seaport that require access to the port complex every day,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton.
“That will have ripple effects across the regional and national supply chain, helping the Port of New York and New Jersey stay ahead of the curve as cargo volumes continue to grow in the years ahead.”
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey added: “The Port Street Corridor Improvement project will modernise the ramps and roads of the largest port on the East Coast, ensuring safe and efficient travel for the hundreds and thousands of vehicles that use the port each day.
“This project will not only alleviate traffic and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it will also improve air quality for surrounding communities and enhance the efficiency of the port’s operations.”
In September 2023, the CMA CGM Group successfully completed its acquisition of Global Container Terminals (GCT) Bayonne and New York terminals.
Shortly after the acquisition, CMA CGM officially renamed the two terminals in New York and New Jersey, which it purchased from Global Container Terminals (GCT) earlier this year.
