Wittpenn Bridge

The Wittpenn Bridge is a vertical lift bridge that carries New Jersey Route 7 over the Hackensack River connecting Kearny and Jersey City, New Jersey. It is named after H. Otto Wittpenn, a former mayor of Jersey City. The bridge comprises four 10ft-wide lanes, extending and standing above mean high water with an 209ft main lift span. Bridge construction commenced 1927, and was opened to vehicular traffic November 5, 1930. The bridge has an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of nearly 50,000 vehicles, including about 2,000 trucks.When raised, the bridge provides of clearance for ships. Raising the lift span takes 15 minutes. In 2005, the bridge was raised to accommodate 80 boats passing underneath.The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is replacing the Wittpenn Bridge and all its approach ramps (including connections to U.S. Route 1/9), a project estimated to cost $600 million, funded by federal dollars. The first phase of construction began in July 2011 and the overall project is expected to take 11 years to complete. The new bridge will be situated just north of the existing bridge.The reconstruction of the bridge is being partially funded by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and will be fully operational in 2021.