Newark Daily Local Headlines: Newark Bay Bridge Reset, Airport Ground Collision, East Ward School Plans

Top local headlines

• State leaders moved ahead with a $6.7B Newark Bay Bridge replacement plan, backing away from a larger capacity expansion.
• Two aircraft made contact on the ground at Newark Liberty International Airport; no injuries were reported and the FAA is investigating.
• Newark Public Schools outlined early plans for a new East Ward elementary school to ease overcrowding and invited residents to a public hearing later this month.
• NJ TRANSIT promoted rail and bus options for upcoming St. Patrick’s celebrations and highlighted a temporary ban on beverages on certain dates.

1) Newark Bay Bridge plan shifts toward replacement, not expansion

Newark and Jersey City leaders say the state is pivoting from a proposal that would have added significant new roadway capacity near the Turnpike extension and Holland Tunnel approach. The updated direction focuses on replacing aging bridge infrastructure and advancing safety-related work on connecting structures without increasing capacity.

State officials framed the project as a long-term reliability and resilience investment with a large construction workforce component. Locally, the big question will be how construction phasing affects truck traffic, air quality, and detours around the Port and Ironbound-area approaches over the next several years.

2) Newark Liberty: ground collision triggers FAA investigation

Airport officials and airlines reported that a Singapore Airlines aircraft, while moving away from a gate area, struck the tail of a Spirit Airlines plane. Passengers were able to get off normally, and no injuries were reported.

While incidents like this can sound alarming, the early details point to a low-speed, on-the-ground contact in an area that is not actively controlled the same way as runway movements. The FAA is reviewing what happened.

3) East Ward: new elementary school proposal aims to ease overcrowding

The school district says it is exploring a new ‘Riverfront Elementary School’ in the East Ward, using a church building on Fleming Avenue as part of its early planning. District leaders said details like capacity, timeline, and costs are still being developed.

A special public hearing is scheduled for March 25 at 5 p.m. at Lafayette Street School, where residents can hear the proposal and offer feedback. The effort comes as enrollment pressures and neighborhood growth continue to squeeze space in existing East Ward schools.

Sources

https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/2026/approved/20260303c.shtml
https://www.jerseycitynj.gov/news/decision_on_newark_bay_bridge
https://hudsonreporter.com/news/jersey-city/nj-advances-6-7b-newark-bay-bridge-replacement-plan-four-lane/
https://patch.com/new-jersey/newarknj/planes-collide-newark-airport-tuesday
https://www.chalkbeat.org/newark/2026/03/02/new-elementary-school-opening-in-east-ward-to-relieve-overcrowding/
https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/nj-transit-way-go-green-st-patricks-celebrations-3