Driscoll Bridge
| Driscoll Bridge | |
| Spans | Raritan River |
| Lanes | 4+4+7 |
| Total length | 1,339 meters |
| Main span | 76.2 meters |
| Bridge deck height | ? meter |
| Opening | 30-07-1954 |
| Traffic intensity | 240,000 mvt/day |
| Location | Map |
According to iamaccepted, the Driscoll Bridge is a bridge in the United States. The bridge spans the Raritan River in the state of New Jersey, more precisely between Sayreville and Fords. The Garden State Parkway crosses the bridge, and the bridge is the widest in the world.
Characteristics
The bridge actually consists of several spans. The Driscoll Bridge itself has 3 bridges with 4+4+7 lanes. Next to it, the Edison Bridge spans the Raritan River. Since both bridges are almost adjacent to each other, it is often seen as one bridge, with a total of 21 lanes. The main bridge is 70 meters wide, all bridge connections next to each other are 114 meters wide. The Garden State Parkway crosses the Driscoll Bridge and US 9 in New Jersey crosses the adjacent Edison Bridge.
The bridge is 1,337 meters long and has a main span of 76.2 meters.
History
The bridge opened with 2×2 lanes on July 30, 1954. The bridge was named after a former New Jersey governor in 1974; Alfred E. Driscoll showing the construction of the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpikeoverlooked. A second span was opened in 1972, creating 2×5 lanes. The bridge has very narrow lanes, first there were 2×2 lanes with emergency lanes of 3.6 meters wide, and with the construction of the second span, 2×4 lanes with emergency lanes of 3.6 meters, after which the emergency lanes were converted into traffic lanes. Later, the lanes were narrowed to 2×6 lanes of barely 3 meters. The speed limit is 45 miles or 70 km/h. In 2002 a new span was under construction which was completed on 3 May 2006. When the old bridge is reconstructed, the bridge will have 8 lanes to the north and 7 lanes to the south, for a total of 15 lanes, making it the widest bridge in the world. It is striking that two more bridges run parallel to the Driscoll Bridge.
Road connections
The bridge carries the Garden State Parkway, the only highway opening up the many southern suburbs along New Jersey’s east coast. Two million people live south of the Driscoll Bridge. North of it another 3.5 million in the state of New Jersey. It is therefore also a vital link in the middle of New Jersey. Immediately north of the bridge around the town of Fords is a triple interchange with State Route 440, the New Jersey Turnpike ( I-95 ), and Interstate 287. From here, traffic swarms in all directions.
Toll
Since the Garden State Parkway is a toll road, so is the Driscoll Bridge. Just after the bridge is a toll station where you have to pay 1 dollar. This is actually not for the bridge, but for the general use of the toll road.
Traffic intensities
240,000 vehicles cross the Driscoll Bridge every day. The adjacent Edison Bridge handles 83,000 vehicles, with a combined volume of 323,000 vehicles across the Raritan River.
Goethals Bridge
| Goethals Bridge | |
| Spans | Arthur Killo |
| Lanes | 2×3 |
| Total length | 2.225 meters |
| Main span | 274 meters |
| Bridge deck height | 41 meters |
| Opening | 29-06-1928 / 2017-2018 |
| Traffic intensity | 85,800 mvt/day |
| Location | Map |
According to acronymmonster.com, the Goethals Bridge is a cable- stayed bridge in the United States. The bridge spans for 1.4 miles the Arthur Kill which forms the border between the states of New Jersey and New York, more precisely between the city of Elizabeth and New York City ‘s Staten Island. Interstate 278 runs over the toll bridge.
Characteristics
The Goethals Bridge actually consists of two large concrete cable- stayed bridges next to each other. The bridge has a main span of 274 meters, the total bridge length is approximately 2,200 meters thanks to long bridges. The main bridge is 604 meters long. The bridge deck is 41 meters above the Arthur Kill, a narrow strait that separates Staten Island from New Jersey. The bridge has 2×3 lanes and has emergency lanes. The northern bridge also has a connection for pedestrians and cyclists.
Interstate 278 runs across the bridge, which connects to the New Jersey Turnpike at the city of Elizabeth on the New Jersey side and is part of the Staten Island Expressway on the Staten Island side. Just east of the bridge is an interchange with State Route 440 on Staten Island.
History
The original Goethals Bridge (1928-2017).
The original Goethals Bridge.
Construction of the original Goethals Bridge began on September 1, 1925 and cost $7.2 million at the time. The bridge opened on June 29, 1928, and was named after Major General George Washington Goethals, who oversaw the construction of the Panama Canal. The central span was 205 meters long and was built flush with the Outerbridge Crossing, which lies further south. The bridge replaced three ferry services between Staten Island and New Jersey.
The original Goethals Bridge was a total of 2,167 meters in length, with a main span of 205 metres, in the form of a steel cantilever truss bridge. The bridge deck was maximum 43 meters above the water and 19 meters wide, with 2×2 lanes. On the New Jersey side is an interchange with the New Jersey Turnpike. On the New York side, the bridges cross wetlands, after which one reaches the toll station. To the east of this is the interchange with State Route 440 in New York.
Road connections
Interstate 278 runs over the bridge, which forms a bypass from Manhattan through New York. Immediately west of bridge, I-278 joins the New Jersey Turnpike, which is also numbered Interstate 95. On the east side, the bridge connects to the Staten Island Expressway, providing a vital link between New Jersey and the southern boroughs of New York. The bridge has 2×3 lanes.
Toll
The Goethals Bridge is a toll road, managed by the Port Authority. The toll is only charged towards New York and the toll rates are the same as for the Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel, Outerbridge Crossing, Bayonne Bridge and George Washington Bridge.
The toll rate depends on the time of day and whether you have an E-ZPass. In 2018, the cash toll was $15 all day, $12.50 during rush hour with E-ZPass and $10.50 outside rush hour with E-ZPass. Traffic actually pays for the return trip at once.
Bridge replacement
The replacement of the Goethals Bridge in June 2017.
The original Goethals Bridge had two 10-foot-wide lanes, which did not match Interstate Highways design requirements of 3.7-foot-wide lanes. There were also no emergency lanes. For this reason, a new span was considered. A 1997 study indicated that the best solution would be a second span, but more recent studies indicated that the 80-year-old bridge had only 10 years of life left. The optimal solution would be a completely new connection. The new connection also provided for widening to 2×3 lanes with wide turnaround lanes and full-fledged emergency lanes.
At the end of 2007, a number of variants were laid out, all of which consisted of a single span with 2×3 lanes. Studies showed that a bus lane was not economically feasible, but an HOV lane with buses had more potential. There were also proponents of preparing the bridge for a possible rail connection. A freight railway was voted out as unprofitable. Construction officially began on May 7, 2014. On June 10-11, 2017, the first new span opened to traffic. On May 21, 2018, the second span opened to traffic. The project cost over $1.5 billion.
Traffic intensities
In 2016, 85,800 vehicles drove over the bridge every day, which is subject to a maximum load.
