NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit’s board of directors has awarded the construction project for the lift portion of the new Raritan River Bridge, which will replace a 116-year-old swing bridge on its North Jersey Coast Line.
Skanska Koch Inc. of Carteret, N.J., was selected for the project. The contract is worth a maximum of $444.4 million, plus 5% for contingencies. This is the second contract awarded for the bridge replacement; George Harris Construction received a contract in 2020 for bridge approach spans and related work.
The current bridge is the sole rail link for 17 of the 20 stations on the North Jersey Coast Line. It sustained significant damage during 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, requiring repairs that shut the line down for three weeks.
“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,” NJ Transit CEO Kevin S. Corbett said in a press release, adding that the new structure will significantly enhance “both operational efficiency and our preparedness for extreme weather events.”
The bridge replacement, estimated to cost $595 million as of 2020, is being funded in part by Federal Transit Administration grant of more than $446 million. More on the project is available here.
