The plan is to begin work on construction of a new traffic deck withing the arch of the bridge before the end of next year. Once the higher deck is complete, removal of the existing deck can begin.

Previously, PA officials had said the bridge-raising project – which has been designed so that bridge traffic will continue during construction – might not be done until a year or two after the widened canal opens. Samson said Wednesday that there will be a six-to-eight month testing of the canal before shipping begins and that means the first big container ships will not be able to pass through carrying goods until late 2015.

The PA was the first agency to file for expedited federal approvals for the project under a new program announced by President Obama last spring. If that approval is granted as anticipated, Samson said, “it could cut another few months off the project.”

“The port handles 30 percent of all goods shipped to the East Coast, and in 2011 it handled more cargo containers than its closest competitors – Savannah, Norfolk and Baltimore – combined,” said Samson. The project is “extremely critical” to New Jersey maintaining that position, he said. The agency estimates that shipping business generated via the bridge supports 279,000 jobs in the region, which translates to $11 billion in personal income and over $5 billion in state and federal tax revenues.

Foye said the agency had managed to reduce the projected construction time for the project by making it an overwhelming priority, increasing coordination between all its departments, and accelerating the design and review process. It has also prequalified five major construction teams to bid on the work, it was announced on Wednesday. Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who share control of the agency, both hailed the announcement of an earlier projected completion for the project called “Raise the Roadway.”