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Port Authority Plan: Raise Bayonne Bridge Roadway

BAYONNE, N.J. (AP) -- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says raising the roadbed is the best way to fix the Bayonne Bridge so larger ships can pass underneath.

The 151-foot-high road deck on the span connecting Bayonne with Staten Island is not high enough to accommodate the next generation of larger container ships.

Ships pass under the bridge to reach Newark Bay port terminals

The Port Authority said Wednesday that raising the bridge deck to 215 feet is the most cost-effective solution and will have the least environmental and neighborhood impact.

Other options included installing a lift bridge mechanism at the center of the span or building a new, taller bridge.

The Port Authority said its staff has begun working on engineering issues.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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