New Jersey
Philly shipyard hopes battleship mostly in good condition, but ready if not
Philly shipyard excited for Battleship New Jersey’s return visit
The Battleship New Jersey, the country’s most decorated battleship, will take her ride down the Delaware River where she will end up at a shipyard in Philadelphia for a historic dry docking project.
PHILADELPHIA — “Small” is an adjective rarely used with the Battleship New Jersey, but its upcoming stop for dry dock maintenance here is one of those times.
The BB-62 deal rates as a “small” contract for Philadelphia Ship Repair, a company that leases the dry dock at the Navy Yard and largely uses it for military vessels.
Donna Connors, the firm’s chief operating officer, says the 45,000-ton (unloaded) New Jersey is notable for the weight of its armor and the sharp taper to its bow but still is “pretty average” for a battleship.
Connors said the work crew might have 40 to 50 people when the New Jersey arrives.
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“Because there’s a lot of line handling, a lot of services, a lot of stuff that needs to be done,” Connors said. “And then, we’ll probably dip down into the mid-20 area or so and spike up towards the end when we have to undock her.”
Battleship New Jersey has a dry dock history
The New Jersey last was in a dry dock in 1991 when the Navy decommissioned her in California. Work was done on the ship in 1999 at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard to make her usable as a museum.
“We were not dry docked during our 1999 yard period,” battleship curator Ryan Szimanski said of the Battleship New Jersey Museum amd Memorial.
“The last time we were out of the water was during our deactivation work” at Long Beach, California, in 1990.
The New Jersey is not the biggest vessel the Philadelphia yard has handled. And its hull shape is not especially challenging in terms of designing and cutting the supporting cement and wood blocks it will rest on during repairs.
“Up in Boston, right now, we’re dry docking a … catamaran-type vessel,” Connors said. “So, we actually have two keel tracks and those have significant shape to them. It changes each block. That one’s a much more detailed build than what the battleship is.”
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The battleship is scheduled for a two-month stay, with repairs expected to cost less than $10 million. The work will be almost entirely external and directed at the underwater portion of the hull. Work below decks will be to systems linked to the hull.
Connors said the basic requirement is getting the battleship into Dry Dock 3, which then is drained of roughly 6 million gallons of water. New Jersey will come to rest on a very specific arrangement of supporting concrete and wood blocks, exposed to a range of visual and mechanical inspections.
Long-submerged secrets being exposed
“We look at all the underwater hull apertures or pieces and parts,” Connors said. “The propellers, the rudders, the skeg. Various areas you typically don’t see when it’s in the water.”
The “skeg,” for example, runs along the bottom of the vessel. It is a tapering or projecting stern section of keel protecting the propellers and supporting the rudders.
The New Jersey, like other vessels, incorporates hull openings to allow water to come in and leave in support of different systems. “Blanks,” or bolt-on covers, are used to seal those openings.
New Jersey got an estimated 132 blanks installed at the 1991 decommissioning, and the museum has said at least one has failed. Pressurized air is shot in to determine whether a blank is holding.
“In addition to that, we’ll be painting the underwater hull to ensure that the hull maintains a good paint job for the next 20 years until she dry docks again,” Connors said.
Connors said the testing of the blanks will happen at the same time as the painting. “The paint is the critical path of the project and will take the longest to complete,” she said.
Getting the maintenance done now is important to avoid more expensive repairs in the future, said Jack Willard, a spokesman for the battleship museum.
“Again, we’re very fortunate we’re in the Delaware where it’s not saltwater,” Willard said. “So, that’s helped things. The ship is in good shape, as far as we know. We’ll obviously learn more at dry dock.”
The shipyard also will do something known as “fleeting,” an old term for ensuring the hull paint job is as thorough as possible.
“Obviously, where the ship sets down on these blocks, you can’t paint,” Connors said. “Right? So, when we’re done painting the entire underwater, and it dries, we’re going to refloat the vessel, shift her back a bit, and reset her down so the spaces that were covered by the blocks are now in-between the blocks. And we’re going to paint them, too.”
A thick, thorough paint job is critical to prevent corrosion and fend off sea life seeking to attack to the hull.
Additionally, New Jersey has about 1,304 zinc anodes bolted on its underwater hull as protection against corrosion.
“When it’s underwater, the water and the biological and the fish and all those microorganisms attack the anodes before the steel because it’s easier for them to eat those away,” Connors said. “And we are changing them out to aluminum anodes for them.”
The dry dock stay also will expose the extent of erosion for the ship’s hull plating.
Connors consider it “very likely” some plates will need replacing. “But again, it depends on the paint system and how long the paint system held, if the anodes were working properly,” she said.
“On an older ship like this, what they call the `wind and the water strike’ is the most susceptible,” Connors said. “And that’s because it’s not 100-percent under water and it’s not 100-percent dry.”
Those conditions can cause “pitting,” or weak spots.
They will be assessed using an ultrasonic testing, or UT gauging, machine on random spots over the hull. About 5,000 ultrasonic “shots” are expected to be done.
“And then, if we find an area that is a little susceptible?” Connors said. “We’ll do more shots in that area.”
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.
PATERSON, New Jersey (WABC) — One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting in Paterson.
The violence erupted around 6:30 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of East 29th Street and 10th Avenue.
Children nearby gasped in horror at the sound of rapid gunfire. They were just about to sing Happy Birthday to their 13-year-old friend at her backyard party, but instead of blowing out the candles, they ducked for cover when they heard gunshots in the distance.
“Just hearing it – it was scary to witness, to hear. Especially on my birthday. Like a time I’m trying to play with my friends, get together,” said the 13-year-old.
She also says she had a friend who was there who saw what happened.
“He was going to the bodega – he went running back, but he had saw two people come out of a car and then shoot, but it was like an automatic gun,” she added.
Bystanders watched in shock and panic as first responders treated the victims. One of them was lying in the street next to a car and another was on the ground next to a bicycle.
Local councilman Luis Velez says the City of Paterson has taken measures to reduce crime in this part of town – what he calls a ‘hotspot’ — in part by installing security cameras. He is encouraging the community to cooperate.
“Paterson Police is doing their job as I know, they’re doing a great job to reduce crime, but one again we, the police, nobody, not even the news media has a crystal ball to say this is going to happen now,” Velez said, “Some people see corners getting built up, they see activities and they’re afraid to come out and say something, but our police department is trained to keep it confidential and approach to bring the quality of life in this area.”
The 13-year-old hopes her next birthday party is not ruined by the sound of gunshots.
“First we thought it was fireworks, but then we heard sirens and everyone started going home because they were scared,” she added.
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Let’s be honest, we didn’t need a national list to tell us this. New Jersey has the best restaurants, the best food, and some of the most talented chefs anywhere in America.
It’s something locals have been saying forever, and now the rest of the country is catching up. Still, it’s always nice to see that recognition on a big stage.
We Already Knew New Jersey Was the Best
USA TODAY’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year list highlights standout dining destinations across the country.
From humble roadside gems to chef-driven hotspots earning major buzz, the list celebrates places that truly stand out, and New Jersey showed up in a big way.
Three New Jersey Spots Earn National Recognition
This year, three Garden State restaurants made the prestigious list:
- The Pasta Shop – Denville
- Ram & Rooster – Metuchen
- Anjelica’s – Sea Bright
And yes, that includes a Jersey Shore favorite, because of course it does.
These restaurants represent everything people love about dining in New Jersey, quality, creativity, and flavors that keep you coming back.
A Jersey Shore Standout Shines
There’s something special about seeing a Jersey Shore restaurant included among the best in America. It’s not just about great food, it’s about the full experience, the atmosphere, and that unmistakable local charm.
Anjelica’s in Sea Bright earning a spot only reinforces what shore locals already know: some of the best meals you’ll ever have are right here, close to home.
No Surprise, Just Well-Deserved
At the end of the day, this recognition feels less like a surprise and more like confirmation. New Jersey’s food scene has always been top-tier, and lists like this just make it official.
Keep Reading: Beloved New Jersey Restaurant is Closing
So whether you’re heading to Denville, Metuchen, or down the shore, you already know, you’re in for something special.
PHOTOS: Step Inside a 1970s Kitchen — 34 Things You’ll Recognize
From Tupperware jugs (you know the ones) to those ever-present knife sharpeners, let’s take a nostalgic trip back to the quintessential ’70s kitchen.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
If You Grew Up in the ’70s and ’80s, These Foods Were Super Fancy
From Babybels to Toblerone chocolate, take a nostalgic bite out of these ‘fancy’ childhood foods that made us feel way more elegant than we really were.
Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
FIFA and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have become embroiled in a war of words this past week as the prospect of $150 train tickets to travel to World Cup games and plans to close parts of New York’s Penn Station have angered residents.
The recent uproar began after reports surfaced April 6 that parts of Penn Station would be closed to NJ Transit commuters not attending World Cup games for four hours before kickoff during the eight matches at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
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Moreover, round-trip train tickets between Penn Station in Manhattan and MetLife Stadium, where the final of the FIFA World Cup is set to be played, were announced by NJ Transit to come in at $150 per person.
A return ride on the same line typically costs $12.90, according to NJ Transit.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the Los Angeles stop of The FIFA World Cup 26 Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola at LA Live in Los Angeles on March 24, 2026.
In a press release on April 17, Sherrill said the move to increase prices was caused by FIFA’s decision to eliminate parking at MetLife Stadium. The Democratic governor said price increases happened because FIFA did not agree to cover the costs of transporting fans.
“We are committed to ensuring costs are shared fairly. As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” Sherrill said.
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More: Going to World Cup at MetLife Stadium? Expect $150 train tickets and no parking
FIFA, on the other hand, has said the price increase would have a “chilling effect” on fans attending games in New Jersey and said Sherrill’s demands asking FIFA to absorb transportation costs for fans were “unprecedented.”
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options. This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup,” Heimo Schirgi, COO for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The NJ Transit logo is seen in the lobby of the New Jersey Transit headquarters ahead of a press briefing on the New York/New Jersey FIFA World Cup 2026 regional mobility plan in Newark, New Jersey on April 17, 2026.
What are other cities doing with World Cup transportation?
New Jersey has not been the only place where transportation costs have been the subject of discussion ahead of the World Cup. In Boston, round-trip train train tickets on the MBTA from Boston’s South Station to Gillette Stadium are being sold for $80.
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Special event trains to Foxborough for New England Patriots NFL games and New England Revolution MLS matches are usually $20 for a round trip, according to local news station CBS Boston.
Other cities have not seen increases like the ones in New Jersey and Boston. In Atlanta, for example, train fares on the city’s MARTA will be $2.50 per ride, with children able to travel for free with a paying adult.
Kansas City is offering $15 round-trip shuttle rides for fans parking in four different park-and-ride locations, as well as those coming from FIFA’s Fan Festival in the city. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is offering fans a $3.50 round trip train ticket on its Metro Train.
SEPTA in Philadelphia is also keeping its prices low, with fans set to pay the base $2.90 fare for a ride on its Broad Street Line, which takes riders to Lincoln Financial Field, set to host six matches.
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Katie Sobko from USA TODAY Network’s NorthJersey.com contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup fans going to MetLife Stadium to pay $150 for NJT ticket
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