Another $25 million in taxpayer money will be used to get the MetLife sports complex up to the standards required for hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This time the money will be from the state Transportation Department through a grant agreement with Bergen County for a new pedestrian bridge.
A resolution passed by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority on Thursday morning put the agency in control of a grant that had been issued to the county by the state.
Because the authority signed a contract with FIFA to serve as a host city, it is responsible for meeting the standards set by the international soccer association on things like field specifications, security and even beautification in the area surrounding the stadium.
According to the resolution passed by the authority’s board, it is maintaining “certain safety and accessibility standards at and around MetLife Stadium” and “identified an urgent and critical need” for a new pedestrian bridge at the complex.
This new bridge will be built “immediately to the north of the existing pedestrian bridge” crossing Route 120, to connect Meadowlands Parking Lot C and American Dream Parking Garage A, in an effort to increase access to the stadium because of concerns that the existing pedestrian bridge can’t meet the demand of pedestrians expected during the tournament in 2026.
Robert Davidow, associate counsel for the Governor’s Authorities Unit, explained to the board that the project would connect the east and west sides of the complex so pedestrian traffic can flow faster during stadium events — especially the upcoming World Cup.
Davidow said about 15,000 people use the current pedestrian bridge during events and that because of bottlenecks it could take up to 90 minutes to get everyone across.
Designs are not completed yet, so it’s unclear exactly what the new bridge would look like or how it would work in relation to the current structure.
The money had been appropriated by the Legislature to the Local Transportation Projects Fund. The Transportation Department was authorized to use the fund for grants to local entities for transportation and pedestrian safety projects. In this case, the local entity is Bergen County, which is now passing its “rights and obligations” to the sports authority.
The Bergen County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution passing the grant along at its Oct. 15 meeting.
The grant received by the county can be used for design services and construction work. Any costs above $25 million are the authority’s responsibility. The project includes a pile-driven foundation system, concrete piers and decking, a structural steel superstructure, electrical infrastructure and lighting, and a security and audio announcement system.
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The state partnered with New York City in a joint bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in East Rutherford. The stadium in the Garden State will host eight matches, including the final, during a monthlong stretch in the summer of 2026.
The host city obligations are the responsibility of both New Jersey and New York City, and officials have previously said costs would be split with New York City. There is still no formal agreement in place and no official estimate of what bringing the tournament to the state will cost.
The state provided $37.5 million to the authority in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Some of that has already been spent to ensure that the field within the stadium is modified to meet FIFA’s requirements.
Another $7.5 million has been given to the host committee as a revolving loan for operational expenses. This is expected to be repaid through fundraising efforts by the end of 2026.
And $15 million was sent to the authority from the American Rescue Plan funding the state received in fiscal year 2022.
The state has also paid $35 million for NJ Transit to develop designs for expanding its transit system to serve the venue. An undisclosed amount was approved by the NJ Transit board this month to implement those designs.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
