Wittpenn Bridge

Wittpenn Bridge
Current span of the bridge
Coordinates40°44′26″N 74°04′53″W / 40.740625°N 74.081336°W / 40.740625; -74.081336 (Wittpenn Bridge)
Carries Route 7
Future East Coast Greenway
CrossesHackensack River
LocaleJersey City and Kearny, New Jersey
Official nameWittpenn Bridge
Other name(s)Route 7 Bridge
Maintained byNew Jersey Department of Transportation
ID number0909150[1]
Characteristics
DesignLift bridge
Total length2,169 feet (661 m)
Width40 feet (12 m)
Longest span83 feet (25 m)
Clearance below35 feet (11 m) (lowered)
100 feet (30 m) (raised)
History
OpenedNovember 5, 1930 (original bridge) October 2, 2021 (replacement bridge)
Location
Map

The Wittpenn Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge that carries New Jersey Route 7 over the Hackensack River in Jersey City and Kearny, in Hudson County, New Jersey. It is named after H. Otto Wittpenn, a former mayor of Jersey City. The bridge has an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of nearly 50,000 vehicles, including about 2,000 trucks.[2] In 2005, the bridge was raised 80 times to accommodate boats passing underneath.[2] The original span opened in 1930; its replacement opened in 2021.

  1. ^ "Historic Bridge Survey (1991–1994)" (PDF). NJDOT. 2001. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Franklin, Thomas E. (April 11, 2005). "Picture this: Drawbridge Operator". The Record. Archived from the original on March 8, 2006.