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Traffic Advisory –  Goethals Bridge to Close for One Night, Institute Traffic Diversions during Columbus Day Weekend for Bridge Replacement Project

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Press release from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

During Columbus Day weekend – Friday night, October 7, through Monday afternoon, October 10 – the Port Authority will close the Goethals Bridge from that Friday night into the following morning, and institute traffic diversions through the remainder of the three-day weekend on connecting roads in Staten Island, N.Y. and Elizabeth, N.J. 

Travel delays are expected throughout the three-day weekend, especially during peak travel times.  The Bayonne Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing will remain fully open through Columbus Day weekend as alternate routes.

The lane closures and diversions are necessary to facilitate a component of the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project – specifically, the demolition and replacement of the Travis Spur Rail Bridge which carries Conrail tracks over I-278 in Staten Island, immediately west of the Goethals Bridge toll plaza. 

The rail bridge must be replaced to enable the expansion of the roadway approaching the Goethals Bridge from a total of four lanes (two eastbound and two westbound) to a total of six lanes (three in each direction).  The twin spans of the new Goethals Bridge, currently under construction, will have a total of six, 12-foot-wide lanes, a significant improvement over the existing bridge’s four, 10-foot lanes.

Construction work during Columbus Day weekend will require the following lane closures and diversions:

The Goethals Bridge will be fully closed from 10 p.m. Friday, October 7 through 8 a.m. Saturday, October 8.  

  • At 8 a.m. Saturday, October 8, the Goethals Bridge will reopen, and traffic diversions will be implemented on I-278 and Gulf Road in Staten Island, between the toll plaza and the bridge.  These diversions will be in place until 3 p.m. Monday, October 10 and are expected to result in traffic delays.
  • These traffic diversions will include temporarily diverting I-278 eastbound traffic onto Gulf Road, and temporarily diverting I-278 westbound traffic onto the I-278 eastbound lanes.  
  • Traffic will return to its normal configuration at approximately 3 p.m. Monday, October 10. 

To avoid expected delays, drivers are encouraged to avoid using the Goethals Bridge throughout the weekend, and consider instead using the Bayonne Bridge or Outerbridge Crossing as alternatives.

Following this work, the Port Authority will implement nightly lane closures on I-278 between the toll plaza and the Goethals Bridge in order to repave and expand the lanes approaching the Goethals Bridge.