HDR hired by PANY&NJ to rehab yard

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PA) has hired HDR, Inc. to rehabilitate the Greenville Yard in Jersey City, N.J., to improve ongoing rail-to-barge-to-rail freight movements across New York Harbor. The transload site, potentially a key freight component of cross-Hudson River traffic, has struggled in recent years due to obsolete equipment and lack of repair.

HDR’s work will include rehabilitating a barge and transfer bridge used to move freight rail cars from the yard to the barges, designing a new barge and two new bridges, demolishing two bridges, rehabilitating the railyard and waterfront structures, and environmental permitting. The project also includes the addition of approximately 10,000 feet of new track and design of yard operations facilities.

The improvement is one of the PA’s projects preparing to accommodate larger Panamax ships anticipated to serve East Coast ports following the Panama Canal expansion. The site also is being upgraded to allow movement of up to 11,000 tons a day of solid waste out of New York City by rail, much of which currently moves over the road. The yard has mainland connections to both CSX and Norfolk Southern through Conrail Shared Assets trackage.

Omaha, Neb.-based HDR, the prime design consultant, will perform a freight capacity analysis and provide context sensitive solutions. Ten bid packages will be prepared for the project’s phases. Sub-consultant Worley Parsons will perform themarine work (barge design, and rehabilitation of barge and fender system). Construction is expected to be completed within five years.

Said HDR Project Manager Pete Davis, “This highly complex and fast-paced project will set a standard for other rail/port facility projects.”