NJ Transit—the nation's largest statewide public transportation system—is moving forward with a call for bids on the Phase One contract for the Long Slip Fill and Rail Enhancement project.
The Long Slip project— which would be adjacent to the Hudson Bergen Light Rail and the Hoboken Yards—serves as one of the agency's Sandy-resilience projects, as the rail enhancement would allow NJ Transit to operate train service longer leading into storm events and would also enable quicker recovery efforts.
“Superstorm Sandy had a devastating impact on vulnerable areas of our transit system. The storm’s aftermath taught us how critical it is to rebuild our infrastructure with resiliency firmly in mind,” said NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett, in a news release. “The Long Slip project will mean future storms will do far less damage. It also provides us the opportunity to construct new ADA-accessible rail platforms well above surge levels that adds greater capacity at Hoboken Terminal, and further ensures the integrity of our transportation network following extreme weather events.”
The Long Slip Canal on the Hudson River in Jersey City moves along the tracks at NJ Transit's Hoboken Yards. The storm surge from Superstorm Sandy in 2012 caused the Long Slip to overflow and led to significant flood damage to the yard. The project would eliminate the Long Slip as a conduit for flood water.
NJ Transit has issued a notice for construction firms to bid on the first phase of the project to fill and level the canal. The second phase would be to install six new tracks over the filled canal to service three accessible, high-level boarding platforms above expected flood levels. The goal of elevating the position of the tracks and platforms is to improve commuter rail service to and from Hoboken Terminal before and after a storm, as well as to enable more efficient train operations under typical conditions.
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SOURCE: NJ Transit
