The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) has approved a $450,000 grant to construct a pedestrian bridge over Route 440 in Bayonne, Mayor Jimmy Davis announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The city will use the funding to develop plans for a pedestrian bridge over Route 440 at 34th Street in Bayonne, Davis said in a statement this afternoon.
“The goal of the planning would be to develop a preferred alternative for that pedestrian bridge, along with the environmental document needed to advance the project through the construction work phase,” he added.
Back in November 2015, two pedestrians were killed in vehicular accidents when they tried to cross Route 440, prompting residents to call on elected officials to build a pedestrian bridge over the roadway.
“The City of Bayonne is deeply concerned with protecting the lives of our residents. The recent economic development along Route 440 has created the need for safe pedestrian crossings across the highway,” Davis further stated.
He also clarified that East 34th Street was chosen as the first place to study due to the pedestrian overpass linking the Light Rail Station.
The NJTPA is the federally authorized planning organization for the thirteen counties of northern Jersey, where they conduct transportation planning and allocate federal transportation funding to address regional needs.
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise serves on the NJTPA board and he introduced the action for the planning grant, Davis stated.
According to City Planner Suzanne Mack, it would take about two years to complete both the planning and construction of the proposed pedestrian bridge.
She also said the concept for the bridge is similar to the one built over Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City to connect the eastern and western sides of St. Peter’s University campus.
To date, Bayonne has approximately $4 million available to build the bridge between funding from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the NJTPA.
The Davis administration also announced they will pursue additional funding to build more pedestrian bridges across Route 440.
