Second Pedestrian Bridge Under Construction at MetLife Stadium for World Cup

Workers are building a walkway over Route 120 in East Rutherford. It will connect American Dream mall with MetLife Stadium before the 2026 FIFA World Cup starts.

The path links mall parking to Meadowlands Parking Lot C. The NJ Sports & Exposition Authority spent $750,000 on this project and hired Epic Management, a Piscataway construction firm, to do the work. Brian Aberback, who speaks for the authority, confirmed it will be done before the World Cup begins.

This new bridge sits north of one that's already there. Officials decided they needed more space to handle the crowds expected during big events.

"Construction of the new North Pedestrian Bridge over Rt. 120 on the Sports Complex is underway following a determination that additional capacity beyond that provided by the existing pedestrian bridge over Route 120 is needed to alleviate anticipated pedestrian traffic congestion and provide more favorable pedestrian flow during major events such as World Cup 2026," the NJSEA board meeting document read, according to Patch.com.

MetLife Stadium will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches from June 11 through July 19. Thousands of fans will pour in, needing ways to get from parking areas to the stadium.

The NJSEA had to give approval before construction started. Page 93 of the January board meeting document laid out the project plans.

This second walkway should cut down on bottlenecks and help people move more smoothly when attendance spikes at the sports complex. Building another structure made more sense than trying to squeeze everyone through the single existing bridge during World Cup games.