AASHTO Journal - New Jersey DOT Project Helps Transform Ferry Terminal

The New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the expanded and upgraded Liberty State Park Ferry Terminal in Jersey City; a $51.1 million project that transformed and upgraded the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Ferry Terminal, which has largely been unused since Liberty State Park was established in 1976.

[Above photo by New Jersey DOT]

The agency said the revitalized Liberty State Park Ferry Terminal features four bow-loading ferry slips that were returned to service to accommodate future maritime traffic, along with improvements to the terminal’s sole operational side-loading slip.

The project also restored one of the historic wooden transfer bridges, preserving an important piece of the terminal’s history, while also creating opportunities for education and interpretation. In addition, the complex features a new 200-foot by 50-foot engineered barge with four state-of-the-art ferry slips designed to accommodate four ferries of differing sizes, New Jersey DOT said.

This new barge serves as an emergency evacuation facility designed to safely dock multiple rescue and transport vessels simultaneously, the agency stressed – one able to handle an “all boats” call from the Captain of the Port allowing agencies, including the United States Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police and other agencies, to conduct mass evacuations.

Finally, the project repurposed the old sunken barge structure – replaced by the new pier – to create an artificial reef to support a healthy marine ecosystem off the Jersey Shore.

“This new facility expands ferry capacity, improves accessibility, and replaces aging marine infrastructure with a modern terminal designed to safely serve the needs of visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island,” said Priya Jain, New Jersey DOT commissioner, in a statement.

“Together – with NJDEP’s New Jersey State Parks program, the National Park Service and ferry operators – we are helping restore an iconic public space, strengthen an important transportation asset, and ensure that this historic waterfront is ready to serve New Jersey and the world for generations to come,” she noted.