Bayonne’s sole bridge that entirely spans the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and adjacent freight rail tracks and is exclusively for pedestrian usage could be replaced.
The City of Bayonne is scheduled to accept proposals for the removal and replacement of the East 25th Street pedestrian bridge during a bid hearing on July 29.
The “fully functional pedestrian bridge” project will involve “acquiring all necessary permits, installation of elevators and stairs, [and] installation of new concrete curbs, sidewalk and handicap ramps,” according to a notice.
The East 25th Street pedestrian bridge is the only way to travel from one side of the train tracks to the other between East 22nd Street and East 30th Street. The crossing connects Prospect Avenue with Avenue E. Some parts of the existing structure, particularly the ramp on the Prospect Avenue side, have appeared in recent years to be in crumbling condition.
Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis posted on social media in 2018 that “we have been in talks with the developer of the St. Joseph’s site since June of 2017” and that “we came to an agreement that they will pay for fixing the bridge and will repair it while working on the site.”
In March of this year, an ordinance mentioned that the city government “is receiving a contribution for the pedestrian bridge improvements of approximately $250,000.” This was reportedly in exchange for the vacation of a portion of the municipal government’s right-of-way on East 25th Street at the request of the owners of 117-121 Prospect Avenue. A few months later, the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank announced that Bayonne has been allocated more than $2 million for the bridge replacement.
