Goethals Bridge closes forever; new span to open this weekend

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The new eastbound span of the Goethals Bridge, right, is shown beside the incomplete westbound span, center, and the original 89-year-old bridge connecting Elizabeth, N.J. with Staten Island Thursday, June 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) - Friday was the last day for the Goethals Bridge.

The 89-year-old span that connects Elizabeth, New Jersey, with Staten Island, New York, was scheduled to close Friday, June 9, at 10 p.m. forever and be replaced by twin spans.

New York-bound traffic will use the first of the twin spans Saturday afternoon. New Jersey-bound lanes will open late Sunday afternoon. The second of the twin spans will open in 2018.

The new Goethals Bridge spans will each have three 12-foot lanes along with 12-foot outer shoulders and 5-foot inner shoulders.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the $1.5 billion cable-stayed crossing is the agency's first new bridge opening since the Bayonne Bridge was completed in 1931.

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