Wittpenn Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Wittpenn Bridge is a vertical lift bridge that carries New Jersey Route 7 over the Hackensack River
connecting Kearny
and Jersey City
, New Jersey
. It is named after H. Otto Wittpenn
, a former mayor of Jersey City. The bridge comprises four 10 feet (3 m)-wide lanes, extending 2169 feet (661.1 m) and standing 35 feet (10.7 m) above mean high water with an 209 feet (63.7 m) main lift span. Bridge construction commenced 1927, and was opened to vehicular traffic November 5, 1930. The bridge has an Annual average daily traffic
(AADT) of nearly 50,000 vehicles, including about 2,000 trucks.
When raised, the bridge provides 100 feet (30.5 m) of clearance for ships. In 2005, the bridge was raised to accommodate 80 boats passing underneath, a process that takes 15 minutes to raise the lift span.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation
(NJDOT) is replacing the Wittpenn Bridge and all its approach ramps (including connections to U.S. Route 1/9
), a project estimated to cost $600 million, funded by federal dollars. The first phase of construction began in July 2011 and the overall project is expected to take six years to complete. The new bridge will be situated just north of the existing bridge.
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
connecting Kearny
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
and Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It is named after H. Otto Wittpenn
H. Otto Wittpenn
Henry Otto Wittpenn was the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey from January 1, 1908 to June 16, 1913. He was a member of the New Jersey State Highway Commission and was the president of both the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company and the First National Bank of Hoboken...
, a former mayor of Jersey City. The bridge comprises four 10 feet (3 m)-wide lanes, extending 2169 feet (661.1 m) and standing 35 feet (10.7 m) above mean high water with an 209 feet (63.7 m) main lift span. Bridge construction commenced 1927, and was opened to vehicular traffic November 5, 1930. The bridge has an Annual average daily traffic
Annual average daily traffic
Average Annual daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning and transportation engineering. It is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a year divided by 365 days. AADT is a useful and simple measurement of how busy the road is...
(AADT) of nearly 50,000 vehicles, including about 2,000 trucks.
When raised, the bridge provides 100 feet (30.5 m) of clearance for ships. In 2005, the bridge was raised to accommodate 80 boats passing underneath, a process that takes 15 minutes to raise the lift span.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
(NJDOT) is replacing the Wittpenn Bridge and all its approach ramps (including connections to U.S. Route 1/9
U.S. Route 1/9
U.S. Route 9 is a U.S. highway in the northeast United States, running from Laurel, Delaware north to the Canadian border near Champlain, New York...
), a project estimated to cost $600 million, funded by federal dollars. The first phase of construction began in July 2011 and the overall project is expected to take six years to complete. The new bridge will be situated just north of the existing bridge.
See also
- Tonnele CircleTonnele CircleThe Tonnele Circle is an intersection in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. It is named after Tonnele Avenue, the north-south road that runs through it. Entrances and exits are, listed clockwise from north:*Tonnele Avenue north...
- Marion JunctionMarion JunctionMarion Junction is a railroad junction in western Jersey City, New Jersey. Currently, it connects CSX's River Line to Conrail's Passaic and Harsimus Line. The two lines merge towards the west, allowing through trains from upstate New York to continue towards the rest of the country...
- Pulaski SkywayPulaski SkywayThe General Pulaski Skyway is a four-lane freeway composed of connected bridges in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, carrying the designation of U.S. Route 1/9 for most of its length. The landmark structure has a total length of with the longest bridge spanning...
- U.S. Route 1/9U.S. Route 1/9U.S. Route 9 is a U.S. highway in the northeast United States, running from Laurel, Delaware north to the Canadian border near Champlain, New York...
- Croxton, Jersey CityCroxton, Jersey CityCroxton is a section of Jersey City, New Jersey roughly bounded by Secaucus at Penhorn Creek , The Riverbend of the Hackensack River and the Hudson Generating Station and the Marion Section to the south and Truck 1-9 and Western Slope to the east...