By Joseph Albright
Journal correspondent

TRENTON - Eleven mass-transit and highway projects in Hudson County totaling $294,561,000 were recommended yesterday by the state Transportation Department for fiscal year 2000, which starts July 1, 1999.

They are part of the $2.09 billion capital improvement program submitted by state Transportation Commissioner James Weinstein to Gov. Christie Whitman and the Legislature.

Hudson's total includes $254.47 million for mass transit and port projects and $40.091 million for highway and bridge projects.

Most are familiar to commuters, continuing progress on projects previously announced.

One new project is $500,000 for construction of a port facility for the USS Battleship New Jersey at a "county to be determined."

Although the New Jersey Battleship Commission voted to dock the battle-ship in Bayonne at its Military Ocean Terminal, that decision is being challenged in State Superior Court by the Camden Home Port Alliance, which wants the ship brought to Camden's waterfront when it is transferred from Bremerton, Wash.

The other capital projects are:

· $105.06 million for the Hudson-Bergen light rail system, for the first oper-ating segment in Hudson. Purchase of 29 light rail vehicles is included.
· $41.9 million for later work on the Hudson-Bergen light rail system, for construction of grade-crossing separations at Secaucus Road, Paterson Plank Road, 69th Street Bridge and West Side Avenue.
· $51 million for rehabilitation and preservation of Hoboken Terminal and Yard.
· $15.3 million for bridge replacement over Route 7 Passaic River Bridge linking Kearny and North Arlington with Belleville.
· $5.343 million for Charlotte Circle elimination and Tonnelle Circle improvements in Jersey City.
· $5.28 million for the Weehawken ferry facility.
· $4 million for bridge replacement over St. Paul's Avenue and Conrail in Jersey City.
· $4.95 million for a needs assessment of the proposed use of the Bergen Arches rail cut through Jersey City as a highway.
· $2.6 million for the Truck Routes 1&9 Hackensack River Bridge rehabilitation and replacement in Kearny.
· $100,000 for reconstruction north of Secaucus Road to the vicinity of Broad Avenue in North Bergen and Fairview.
· $5.77 million for long-term interim repairs on the Routes 1&9 bridge over the Passaic River in Newark and Kearny.