Given the close proximity and accessibility of New York City,
it’s current multi-year commercial construction back log, an existing large
bridge replacement project that has recently gotten under way and now a second
large scale, multi-year bridge project to begin in 2014, Philadelphia’s construction
labor force will be in high demand. Especially
in areas trades that are currently experiencing an already high demand due to Marcellus
Shale production, such as welders, steam fitters, Operating Engineers, etc…
The Tappen Zee Bridge replacement project is expected to
employ roughly 2,600 full-time construction workers each year for the next five
years. There will be 2,250 construction
jobs created while the bridge is being built.
As Philadelphia’s employer associations engage in 2014
collective bargaining, it’s to be approached cautiously and with a deep
understanding of the current conditions in the labor market impacting
collective bargaining.
Now on to the main article below.
The last major milestone has been passed with the finalized
$1.5 billion deal to replace the obsolete Goethals Bridge, and construction
will begin later this year.
This public-private partnership was struck between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and NYNJ Link Partnership, a venture comprised of private companies Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Inc., Kiewit Development and lead contractors Kiewit Infrastructure, Weeks Marine and Massman Construction.
Through this partnership, the developers are responsible for designing, building, financing and maintaining the new bridge and demolishing the old one, the Port Authority said.
"Reaching financial close is another significant milepost on our journey to completing the region's first true surface transportation public-private partnership in the northeast region," said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye. "Governors Cuomo and Christie have tasked us with coming up with creative solutions to rebuild our critical infrastructure, and we believe this project will serve as an example for building major transportation infrastructure in the northeast while leveraging private capital and expertise."
Construction will be financed with a combination of $461 million in tax-exempt bonds, a $474 million loan and equity contributions from the developers.
The developers will be paid back throughout 35 years with interest from the Port Authority, but the agency will still be responsible for collecting the tolls.
The payment amounts will depend upon the developers' performance.
The agreement was approved by the agency's board of directors in April, but the final signing of the contracts took place Friday, said Chris Valens, the agency's spokesman.
The 85-year-old existing bridge is "functionally obsolete" with two, 10-foot wide lanes in each direction and no shoulder or pedestrian walkway, the agency said.
The gleaming new span will include six traffic lanes, three in each direction, at 12 feet wide. Each roadway will have a 12-foot-wide outer shoulder and a five-foot-wide inner shoulder. On the north side of the bridge there will be a 10-foot-wide pedestrian/bike path, and a space in the middle will be left for a future bus/HOV lane or a light rail.
This will be the authority's first new bridge built in 80 years, and it is expected to open late in 2016.
The new span will be built just south of the existing bridge, and the agency previously said there should be no major traffic disruptions. Once complete, the existing road will be shifted to feed into the new bridge in 2016, and at that point the old Goethals Bridge will be dismantled as traffic flows over the new span. The old bridge is expected to be totally removed by 2017.
There will be 2,250 construction jobs created while the bridge is being built, equaling about $224 million in wages, the agency said.
The Goethals carries an estimated $33 billion of regional goods over it yearly, according to the Port Authority's website.
Total traffic volume that crossed the span in 2012 was just under 14 million vehicles, the website said.
This public-private partnership was struck between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and NYNJ Link Partnership, a venture comprised of private companies Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Inc., Kiewit Development and lead contractors Kiewit Infrastructure, Weeks Marine and Massman Construction.
Through this partnership, the developers are responsible for designing, building, financing and maintaining the new bridge and demolishing the old one, the Port Authority said.
"Reaching financial close is another significant milepost on our journey to completing the region's first true surface transportation public-private partnership in the northeast region," said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye. "Governors Cuomo and Christie have tasked us with coming up with creative solutions to rebuild our critical infrastructure, and we believe this project will serve as an example for building major transportation infrastructure in the northeast while leveraging private capital and expertise."
Construction will be financed with a combination of $461 million in tax-exempt bonds, a $474 million loan and equity contributions from the developers.
The developers will be paid back throughout 35 years with interest from the Port Authority, but the agency will still be responsible for collecting the tolls.
The payment amounts will depend upon the developers' performance.
The agreement was approved by the agency's board of directors in April, but the final signing of the contracts took place Friday, said Chris Valens, the agency's spokesman.
The 85-year-old existing bridge is "functionally obsolete" with two, 10-foot wide lanes in each direction and no shoulder or pedestrian walkway, the agency said.
The gleaming new span will include six traffic lanes, three in each direction, at 12 feet wide. Each roadway will have a 12-foot-wide outer shoulder and a five-foot-wide inner shoulder. On the north side of the bridge there will be a 10-foot-wide pedestrian/bike path, and a space in the middle will be left for a future bus/HOV lane or a light rail.
This will be the authority's first new bridge built in 80 years, and it is expected to open late in 2016.
The new span will be built just south of the existing bridge, and the agency previously said there should be no major traffic disruptions. Once complete, the existing road will be shifted to feed into the new bridge in 2016, and at that point the old Goethals Bridge will be dismantled as traffic flows over the new span. The old bridge is expected to be totally removed by 2017.
There will be 2,250 construction jobs created while the bridge is being built, equaling about $224 million in wages, the agency said.
The Goethals carries an estimated $33 billion of regional goods over it yearly, according to the Port Authority's website.
Total traffic volume that crossed the span in 2012 was just under 14 million vehicles, the website said.
Source: SILive
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