Outerbridge Repaving Finished 3 Weeks Early

Motorists who use the Outerbridge Crossing have a smoother ride.

Workers have finished pavement replacement work that has closed the 85-year-old span during the overnight hours since July three weeks ahead of schedule.

The $23 million project replaced the pavement on the bridge itself, around the toll plaza and the approach roadways. The span, built in the late 1920s. was last repaved in the early 2000s while a concrete slab was installed in 1977.  Both of these surfaces had reached the end of their useful lives according to the Port Authority.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the completion enables the agency to keep the bridge open in both directions while construction gets underway on the Bayonne Bridge, Pulaski Skyway and Verrazano Bridge.

The project is part of a $2.8 billion plan to replace the Goethals Bridge and replace the Bayonne Bridge roadway to allow for larger ships to pass through.

The projects will create upwards of 5,000 construction jobs, generate more than $600 million in wage and more than $2.5 billion in economic activity for the region.

The Outerbridge links Perth Amboy with Staten Island.

The Associated Press contributed to this report