UPDATE: Navigational Clearance at Bayonne Bridge

The "raise the roadway" project for the Bayonne Bridge is moving faster than expected. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently announced that Navigational Clearance for all container ships up to 18,000 TEUs will be achieved by June 30 – six months ahead of schedule. 

Construction efforts have removed hundreds of feet of the older roadway, as shown in this photo courtesy of the Port Authority of NY/NJ.  As a result, air draft restrictions for existing vessels traveling under the bridge have been lifted with approval from U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York and pilot organizations. Any class ship that has sailed west of the bridge in the past will now be able to pass beneath the bridge. There is now a clearance of 215 feet at MHW (mean high water) where the lower deck has been removed.  

All this is great news for importers who want to bring even the largest vessels – up to 18,000-TEU ships – into the Port of New York/New Jersey.  It's just a first step, but we're moving in the right direction!