Bayonne Bridge Construction was looked over on Friday, December 9, by Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis and officials from the City of Bayonne joined a group from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on a tour to inspect the ongoing reconstruction of the Bayonne Bridge. The tour was led by Steve Plate, Chief of Major Capital Projects for the Port Authority. Mr. Plate, a civil engineer, is a former Mayor and Council Member from Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
Plate explained to the Bayonne officials that the main span work on the Bayonne Bridge has been completed. The tasks being done now include completing lighting and other electrical work, installing standpipes and conduits, and putting in dividers.
According to Plate, about 400 to 500 workers are currently involved in Bayonne Bridge construction. The workers are drawn from more than two dozen building trade union locals that are located in both New York and New Jersey. Construction workers, their trucks, and equipment were located throughout the bridge during the officials’ tour.
Looking ahead to the next phases of construction activity, Plate said that performing the demolition of the original Bayonne Bridge roadway is going to be an important step expected in 2017.
Officials from the City of Bayonne and the Port Authority examined the precast concrete barriers that have been installed along most of the western side of the Bayonne Bridge.  They also examined the less-completed eastern side of the bridge, which is where the new walkway and bikeway will be located when the reconstruction of the bridge is completed.
The tour group walked from the on-ramp at West 6th Street in Bayonne as far as the mid-point of the new roadway, where they were about 260 feet above the waters of the Kill Van Kull. Then the group turned around, and returned to West 6th Street.
Among those who toured the bridge were Mayor James M. Davis, Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski, Councilman-at-Large Juan Perez, Councilman Thomas Cotter, Councilman Salvatore Gullace, and Councilman Gary La Pelusa. Also representing Bayonne were Administration & Staff: Andrew Casais, Chief of Staff; Joseph DeMarco, Business Administrator; Keith Weaver, Fire Chief; Gary Chmielewski, Public Works Director; Edoardo Ferrante, Jr.. Office of Emergency Management Coordinator; Alicia Losonczy, Clerk, Office of the Mayor; and Joseph E. Ryan, Public Information Officer.
In addition to Mr. Plate, the Port Authority officials on the tour included Government and Community Relations Director Tina Lado, Dennis Stabile, Chad Serpa, Doug Myhre, Neal Buccino, and BillYoung.
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