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Outerbridge Crossing

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Outerbridge Crossing
The Outerbridge Crossing, seen from Staten Island. Perth Amboy is on the left; Staten Island is on the right
Coordinates40°31′30″N 74°14′48″W / 40.5249°N 74.2466°W / 40.5249; -74.2466
Carries4 lanes of Route 440/ NY 440
CrossesArthur Kill
LocalePerth Amboy, New Jersey and southwestern Staten Island, New York City, New York
Maintained byPort Authority of New York and New Jersey
Characteristics
DesignSteel cantilever bridge
Total length10,140 feet (3,091 m)[1]
Width62 feet (18.9 m)
Longest span750 feet (229 m)
Clearance above14 feet (4.3 m)
Clearance below143 feet (43.6 m)[2]
History
OpenedJune 29, 1928; 96 years ago (June 29, 1928)
Statistics
Daily traffic81,597 (2010)[3]
Toll(Eastbound only) Cars $15.00 cash, $12.50 E-ZPass (peak) or $10.50 E-ZPass (off-peak) (As of 6 December 2015)
Location
Map

The Outerbridge Crossing is a cantilever bridge which spans the Arthur Kill. The "Outerbridge", as it is often known, connects Perth Amboy, New Jersey, with Staten Island, New York. It carries NY 440 and NJ 440, the two roads connecting at the state border near the bridge's center. The Outerbridge Crossing is one of three vehicular bridges connecting New Jersey with Staten Island. The others are the Bayonne Bridge (which also carries NJ 440 and NY 440), which connects Staten Island with Bayonne, and the Goethals Bridge, which connects the island with Elizabeth.

Description

View from top of tower through truss work

The bridge was named for Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge, the first chairman of the then-Port of New York Authority and a resident of Staten Island.[1][4][5] Rather than call it the "Outerbridge Bridge", the span was labeled a "crossing", but many New Yorkers and others mistakenly assume the name comes from the fact that it is the most remote bridge in New York City and the southernmost crossing in New York state.[5][6]

The bridge is of a steel cantilever construction, designed by John Alexander Low Waddell and built under the auspices of the Port of New York Authority, now the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which currently operates it.[5] It opened simultaneously with the Goethals Bridge on June 29, 1928.[7] Both spans have similar designs. Neither bridge saw high traffic counts until the opening of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964. Traffic counts on both bridges were also depressed due to the effects of the Great Depression and World War II.

In recent years, the bridge has undergone numerous repair jobs as a result of the high volume of traffic that crosses the bridge each day. On October 11, 2013, the Port Authority announced the completion of the bridge's repaving project.[8]

Traffic

The Outerbridge Crossing carried 32,438,000 vehicles (both directions) in 2006, or approximately 90,000 each day. Tolls are collected in the eastbound direction only.

In 2003, the Port Authority raised the speed limit for the three inner E-ZPass lanes at the toll plaza from 15 to 25 miles per hour (25 to 40 km/h)*, separating these lanes from the rest of the eight-lane toll plaza by a barrier.[9] Two years later, the tollbooths adjacent to the 25 mph E-ZPass lanes were removed and overhead gantries were installed with electronic tag readers to permit E-ZPass vehicles to travel at 45 miles per hour (70 km/h) in special high-speed lanes.[10] Motorists using the high-speed E-ZPass lanes cannot use Exit 1 to Page Avenue, which is located immediately after the toll plaza.

Toll

As of December 6, 2015, the cash toll going from New Jersey to New York is $15 for cars and motorcycles; there is no toll for passenger vehicles going from New York to New Jersey. E-ZPass users are charged $12.50 for cars or $11.50 for motorcycles during peak hours (6–10 a.m. and 4–8 p.m. on weekdays; 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekends), and $10.50 for cars or $9.50 for motorcycles during off-peak hours.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Jackson, Kenneth T.; New-York Historical Society (1995). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 870. ISBN 0-300-05536-6.
  2. ^ "Facts & Info - Outerbridge Crossing - The Port Authority of NY & NJ:". http://www.panynj.gov. Retrieved 19 January 2014. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  3. ^ "2010 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. Appendix C. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
  4. ^ "E. H. Outerbridge, Port Expert, Dies. Head Of Export And Import Firm And Ex-Chairman Of Port Of New York Authority". The New York Times. November 11, 1932. Retrieved March 9, 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) (note: his daughter was responsible for bringing lawn tennis to the US).
  5. ^ a b c Richman, Steven M. (2005). The Bridges of New Jersey: Portraits of Garden State Crossings. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. pp. 103–104. ISBN 0-8135-3510-7.
  6. ^ Yates, Maura (June 27, 2008). "Happy Bridge Birthday". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  7. ^ "Two Bridges Open Over Arthur Kill". The New York Times. June 30, 1928. p. 35. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  8. ^ "PORT AUTHORITY COMPLETES OUTERBRIDGE CROSSING REPAVEMENT PROJECT THREE WEEKS EARLY". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. October 11, 2013.
  9. ^ "E-ZPass Speed Limit Increased to 25-mph at Outerbridge Crossing" (Press release). Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. June 19, 2003. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  10. ^ "Express E-ZPass Arrives Tomorrow at the Outerbridge Crossing" (Press release). Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. June 27, 2005. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  11. ^ "New Toll Fare Rates for the Bridges & Tunnels Effective December 6, 2015 at 3:00 AM". Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
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