Clearance at the Bayonne Bridge in New Jersey is 65 feet short of what's necessary to accommodate post-Panamax ships.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli told port officials and industry leaders Friday that the Port of New York and New Jersey would be the prime beneficiary of the canal’s widening, ahead of competing Atlantic ports.
“Halifax is way, way up,” Martinelli said. “Savannah is way, way down. Pensacola is a small port. Houston is more oriented to petroleum.”
Another [necessary infrastructure] modification will involve the Bayonne Bridge, which has a clearance of 151 feet above the Kill Van Kull, about 65 feet too low for post-Panamax vessels that can reach 20 stories above the waterline when stacked with containers.
This month, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey pledged $1 billion to address the bridge issue, possibly by building a replacement bridge or jacking up the 79-year-old span.