A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck.
7-850: The Wittpenn Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that carries New Jersey Route 7 over the Hackensack River in Jersey City and Kearny , in Hudson County , New Jersey . It is named after H. Otto Wittpenn , a former mayor of Jersey City. The bridge has an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of nearly 50,000 vehicles, including about 2,000 trucks. In 2005, the bridge was raised 80 times to accommodate boats passing underneath. The original span opened in 1930; its replacement opened in 2021. The original bridge carried four 10-foot-wide (3.0 m) lanes, extended 2,169 feet (661 m) and stood 35 feet (11 m) above mean high water with
14-456: A 209-foot (64 m) main lift span. Bridge construction commenced in 1927, and it was opened to vehicular traffic on November 5, 1930. When raised, the bridge provided 100 feet (30 m) of clearance for ships. Raising the lift span required 15 minutes. Following the opening of the 2021 span, demolition work commenced on this span with work being substantially complete by March 2022. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) replaced
21-462: The bascule and swing-span bridges . Generally speaking, they cost less to build for longer moveable spans. The counterweights in a vertical lift are only required to be equal to the weight of the deck, whereas bascule bridge counterweights must weigh several times as much as the span being lifted. As a result, heavier materials can be used in the deck, and so this type of bridge is especially suited for heavy railroad use. The biggest disadvantage to
28-677: The orthotropic bridge deck was hoisted into place, partially built on the former overpass that carried US US 1-9 truck , which now carries both routes instead. The bridge opened on October 2, 2021. In addition to Route 7, the new span carries the East Coast Greenway , a long-distance biking and walking trail, and the Meadowlands Connector, a New Jersey biking and walking trail that links Hudson and Essex counties. Vertical-lift bridge The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as
35-523: 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. The new span opened in 2021, and all associated project work is expected to be completed in 2022. The new bridge is situated just north of the existing bridge. The reconstruction of the bridge
42-478: The vertical-lift bridge (in comparison with many other designs) is the height restriction for vessels passing under it, due to the deck remaining suspended above the passageway. Most vertical-lift bridges use towers, each equipped with counterweights. An example of this kind was built in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1912. Another design uses balance beams to lift the deck, with pivoting bascules located on
49-615: Was partially funded by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey . In November 2018, the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) investigated a complaint raised by United Airlines that the fees they were paying for Newark Airport use were being diverted to roadway and bridge projects such as the Wittpenn Bridge which are not owned or operated by the Port Authority. In October 2020 the third and final section of
#122877