New Jersey officials will spend more than $33 million on a design-build contract for the new pedestrian bridge near MetLife Stadium to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a resolution approved Thursday morning, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority agreed to pay Creamer-Sanzari, a joint venture, $33,507,000 to construct a second pedestrian bridge immediately to the north of the existing pedestrian bridge, between Meadowlands Parking Lot C and American Dream Parking Garage A, crossing Route 120 at the MetLife Sports Complex.
The resolution came after officials determined that the existing pedestrian bridge is not sufficient for the anticipated increase in pedestrian traffic during the tournament and that there is an “urgent and critical need to construct a second pedestrian bridge to alleviate pedestrian traffic congestion and provide more favorable pedestrian flow on the Sports Complex site in advance of 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
The contract covers driven piles, structural steel, site utilities, electric lighting and signage, site work and architectural features. All of the work must be planned, coordinated and performed at the complex site on a “compressed timeline,” the resolution says.
The state’s standard public advertising and bidding process was not used. The resolution cites an executive order signed by former Gov. Jon Corzine that allows exemptions in “cases of unforeseen life, safety or health emergencies where the public exigency requires that services or products be purchased immediately.”
The order notes that an “emergency contract must be limited to purchasing those services or products necessary to mitigate the emergency situation.”
It is unclear how an abbreviated timeline is cause for an emergency contract process.
The authority allocated $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds for planning and work on the bridge last month. That is in addition to the $25 million grant the NJSEA is using through the state’s Transportation Department for the project.
The agency hired professionals for the project at that time, as well including $700,000 for Gannett Fleming to provide architecture and engineering design consulting services, $425,000 to Langan Engineering & Environmental Services for engineering services and $850,000 to Epic Management for on-call services.
Related:NJ Transit awards contract for ‘transitway’ shuttle route for 2026 FIFA World Cup
The authority also approved a resolution to promote Nicholas Mammano from chief of staff to president and CEO. He will succeed Paul Juliano in the role.
Mammano will hold the post for a year, the last of the Murphy administration and during a time when the authority will be very busy preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the stadium.
His contract is for $280,000 for the year.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
