Raritan River Bridge Replacement

construction started

The George Harms Construction Co. has started work on Phase 1 of the Raritan River Bridge replacement project. The project entails construction of a new drawbridge on New Jersey Transit’s North Jersey Coast Line, spanning the mouth of the Raritan River between the city of South Amboy and the city of Perth Amboy, west of the existing bridge. Work will include providing a 300-ft-wide lift channel for boats as well as demolition of the existing bridge following completion of the new bridge. The existing movable bridge, a swing span built in 1908 and known as River Draw, sustained significant damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 when it was struck by a runaway tugboat, shifting it on its pilings and requiring emergency repair before being placed back in service. Harms received a $248-million contract for Phase 1. The overall project cost is $595 million.