Hudson County and Essex County are advancing the design for the replacement of the existing Clay Street Bridge over the Passaic River to address its structural deficiencies and maintain an important transportation connection for local residents and regional commuters in Hudson County and Essex County. Due to its age, the bridge has deteriorated over time and routine maintenance can no longer address the deficiencies.

A Local Concept Development (LCD) Study for major rehabilitation or replacement of the Clay Street Bridge was completed in 2020 using federal funding through the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), with Hudson County as the project sponsor and Essex County with shared jurisdiction. During this phase, a well-defined Purpose and Need Statement was developed focusing on the need to improve safety and maintain the current crossing over the Passaic River. A number of conceptual alternatives were developed to meet the project goals and objectives.

In coordination with the NJTPA, NJDOT, FHWA, local officials, community stakeholders, and permitting agencies, it was agreed, upon completion of an alternatives analysis, that the recommended Preliminary Preferred Alternative (PPA) is to replace the bridge with a new bridge structure to address the structural deficiencies. Resolutions of Support were passed by both the Borough of East Newark and City of Newark for the PPA. Improvements to the approach roadway intersections are also proposed in the vicinity of the bridge in East Newark and in the City of Newark to better accommodate vehicular flow and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The project is currently in the Local Preliminary Engineering (LPE) phase. The LPE phase involves performing engineering and environmental tasks and documentation in order to obtain National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance for the project. Based on the Preliminary Preferred Alternative (PPA), a number of activities are simultaneously set in motion: community involvement (meetings with affected property owners or business owners), agency consultation, environmental documentation, design level mapping and design services. To inform and to encourage community consensus, a community stakeholders meeting and public information center meeting will be conducted, which may lead to refinements of the approach roadway intersections of the PPA. The Borough of East Newark and City of Newark will be asked to maintain the resolutions of support for the PPA and for any design refinements.

The tasks conducted during the LPE Phase consist of, but are not limited to:

The LPE phase work began in November 2023 and will be completed by Fall 2025.

There are two more phases to the Local Capital Delivery Process using federal funding to replace the bridge. The duration of the subsequent Final Design and Construction phases is to be determined in the future.

1. Local Concept Development	2. Local Preliminary Engineering	3. Final Design/ROW Acquisition	4. Construction
Purpose & Need Statement	Approved Design Exception Report	Construction Contract Documents & PS&E Package	Completed Construction
Data Collection & Environmental Screening Report	Cost Estimates (Final Design, ROW & Construction)	Environmental Reevaluations	As-Built
Selection of Preliminary Preferred Alternative	Approved Environmental Document	Environmental Permits	Update & Finalize Design Communications Report
Concept Development Report	Approved Project Plan	Acquisition of ROW	Close-out Documentation
NEPA Classification	Preliminary Engineering Report	Update Design Communications Report
Create Design Communications Report	Update Design Communications Report
Initial Public Outreach & Involvement	Continued Public Outreach & Involvement	Continued Public Outreach & Involvement	Continued Public Outreach & Involvement