The following was posted to CRRNJ@yahoogroups.com on 4/30/08.
Not quite replication, but "reminiscent." --Ken
The Hudson Reporter – Light Rail Expansion To Start In May
A 30-month project to expand the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line from 22nd Street to a newly constructed rail station on Eighth Street is slated to begin in May.
The system will be expanded about one mile south, and a portion of it will be elevated above street level. The new station will be the southernmost point of the system that currently runs through Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, and North Bergen.
The new station is expected to accommodate walk-on passengers, although plans call for 10 parking spaces for short-term parking and a bus dropoff. Two local businesses will be relocated for the station, including the Burger King and a local tire shop.
The Board of Directors for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail awarded the $58.4 million contract for the final design and the new station at Eighth Street to George Harms Construction Inc. of Howell, N.J.
This includes the design and construction of foundations, viaduct structure, track work, intersection improvements, a new station building, landscaping, lighting, and customer amenities.
About half of the right of way for the extension is on the New Jersey Transit property, adjacent to Conrail's Bayonne yard. The remaining half of the rail line will be constructed on a viaduct above the southside of Avenue E.
The work will involve the construction of a 10-foot high retaining wall along several yards near 14th Street. This will require the relocation of several utilities, including a high-pressure natural gas distribution line.
Officials said residents near Avenue E, Eighth Street and Avenue C near East 12th Street can expect some traffic rerouting, with a least one day of total closure along East 12th Street.
Updates
Joseph Ryan, spokesperson for the city, said the City of Bayonne will post periodic updates on its Web site, and will additionally alert the public with signs and other appropriate notices in the affected areas in advance.
Work is scheduled to start next Wednesday. J. Fletcher Creamer & Son of Linden has been hired to install 1,350-feet of 12-inch diameter steel pipe for $1.8 million, PSE&G spokeswoman Karen Johnson said. NJ Transit will pay for the work.
Work will take place mostly from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PSE&G officials said that except for one day, roads will not be completely closed, and that they would work with residents about getting access to driveways. As a result of community meetings, the station will be located at Avenue C and Eighth Street, with architecture reminiscent of the old Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) station that once stood near the site.
"This project will provide ready access to employment, education and recreational opportunities for thousands of new customers," said NJ Transit Executive Director Richard Sarles. "By extending the light rail one mile south, we will connect more Bayonne neighborhoods with other communities, as well as to trans-Hudson trains and ferries."
"This is good news for the residents of Bayonne, as it expands our commuting options and paves the way for new opportunities," said Bayonne Mayor Terrence Malloy. "The extension also will help to boost economic development in our city. We look forward to the day of taking the inaugural ride."
From the elevated 22nd Street Station, the light rail tracks will be extended south, hugging the existing Conrail right-of-way along Avenue E. A viaduct will carry light rail vehicles over local streets to an elevated platform at the new Eighth Street Station, which will feature an elevator and stairs between street and platform levels. Construction should be finished in 2010.
The first segment of the light rail opened on April 15, 2000 between Bayonne and Jersey City. It has since been expanded to include Hoboken, Weehawken, Union City and North Bergen.