The new bridge will rise 50-feet over the Hackensack River and will allow marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic. A two-track replacement bridge – Portal North – will replace this outdated relic with a modern, high-level fixed span that does not open or close, eliminating the movable components and risk of malfunction. The new bridge will rise 50-feet over the river and, including the approaches, span nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor.
Governor Murphy and NJ TRANSIT Announce Portal North Bridge Project Construction Award
The new bridge is a modern two track, high level, fixed-span bridge that will improve service and capacity along this section of the Northeast Corridor. Rail service is currently at capacity, having grown from 40,000 daily passengers in 2005[15] to 150,000 to 200,000 daily passengers in 2015[2][3] on approximately 450 daily trains[1] for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. Opened in November 1910,[3] the bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in conjunction with service to the newly constructed Pennsylvania Station in New York City. The average bridge clearance of 20 feet (6.1 m) (depending on the tide) requires it to swing open to allow maritime traffic to pass underneath it.
Portal Bridge’s Future: New Chains and Features Coming Soon
Corbett’s gray hair quip Monday was directed at Tony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak’s board, and Kris Kolluri, CEO and president of the Gateway Development Commission. Learn how to set up your wallet, select assets, and initiate cross-chain transfers with ease using the simple Portal Bridge interface. Portal Bridge is constantly evolving, with future updates planned to expand its functionality and support additional blockchains for even more seamless cross-chain transfers. “This is a great example of a project that President Trump first supported,” said Kris Kolluri, CEO and president of NJ Transit. Many billions of dollars of capital work is needed along the Northeast Corridor — the busiest passenger rail route in North America — which has experienced substantial increases in delays and cancellations as aging wires, signals, power systems and other infrastructure components become increasingly unreliable.
- R.J. Watson is leading the way in the transformative Portal North Bridge project in New Jersey, which represents a monumental shift from the century-old Portal Bridge to a state-of-the-art infrastructure solution.
- But the kick-start to the first phase of the $18 billion Gateway program was the Portal Bridge replacement project, which received a green light under the Trump administration after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ponied up $600 million in state funding to get the grant application over the finish line.
- Once construction begins, the construction contract is anticipated to take approximately five and a half years.
- Amtrak executives say replacing the bridge will improve reliability for Amtrak passengers and New Jersey Transit riders.
- Each arch weighs approximately 2,500 tons and measures about 400 feet long and 80 feet tall.
- With the support of multiple blockchains, Portal Bridge offers developers a flexible platform to build decentralized applications (dApps) that require cross-chain interaction.
Making BridgesBetter
The $1,559,993,000 construction contract for the project spans 2.44 miles of the Northeast Corridor line and includes construction of retaining walls, deep foundations, concrete piers, structural steel bridge spans, rail systems, demolition of the existing bridge, and related incidental works. Once construction begins, the construction contract is anticipated to take approximately five and a half years. R.J. Watson is leading the way in the transformative Portal North Bridge project in New Jersey, which represents a monumental shift from the century-old Portal Bridge to a state-of-the-art infrastructure solution. This initiative is part of the most ambitious project undertaken by NJ TRANSIT to date, aiming to significantly reduce the notorious delays caused by the old bridge’s need to swing open for river traffic, thereby facilitating a more reliable and faster commute between Newark and New York. On October 12, 2021, the NJ Transit board awarded a $1.56 billion construction contract for the new bridge.
That arch will soon slide into its connecting span on the east side. It’s one of three arches that make up the bridge.
Officials say the new bridge is higher, and will not have to open and close. If you’ve taken the train across the Hackensack River into Manhattan, chances are you’ve been delayed by problems at the Portal Bridge. – The first of three arches for the Portal North Bridge arrived at the construction site in Kearny Tuesday. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. It was because of improved relationships and partnerships between the agencies and assistance from legislative leaders in Washington that they were able to accomplish that and the success of the project so far, Corbett added.
Design and construction
By the 2000s, the Portal Bridge train speeds were limited to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Furthermore, the main river spans feature bearings will undergo rigorous testing at RJW facilities to ensure they can withstand up to 150% of their designed service load, over 9 million pounds. This testing is indicative of the project’s commitment to safety and durability, setting a new standard for infrastructure projects in the region.
President Biden and Governor Murphy Break Ground on the Portal North Bridge
The Portal North Bridge, which is part of the larger Gateway Program, will greatly reduce gridlock caused by critical operation and maintenance issues of the existing 110-year-old swing bridge and improve service, reliability and capacity for rail travel between New Jersey and New York City. A two-track replacement bridge — Portal North — will replace this outdated relic with a modern, high-level fixed span that does not open or close, eliminating the movable components and risk of malfunction. The new bridge will rise more than 50-feet over the river and, including the approaches, span nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor. Portal North Bridge is an important element of the broader Gateway Program to double rail capacity between Newark and New York. The existing, century-old Portal Bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and entered revenue service in November 1910. The bridge carries more than 450 daily Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT trains and 200,000 daily passengers over the Hackensack River — a critical link in the congested territory between Newark, NJ and New York – Penn Station.
DEP’s land use rules, as proposed, will stand in the way of Gov. Murphy’s affordable housing goals [ROI-NJ Op-Ed]
- The hope is the new bridge is structurally complete by February, 2025, with trains rolling over the new bridge by the spring of 2026.
- The new bridge is a modern two track, high level, fixed-span bridge that will improve service and capacity along this section of the Northeast Corridor.
- The Portal North Bridge Project will replace this outdated andincreasingly unreliable structure with a modern, more reliable fixed-spanbridge that is much higher over the water, allowing boats to pass underneathwithout the need to open and close.
- But today, things have changed drastically, and blockchains such as Solana, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and Polygon are now home to a thriving and growing variety of dApps and passionate communities.
- Gardner said work is being done systemwide to try to prevent the same from happening again this year.
- The Portal North Bridge Project is a crucial component of the broader Gateway Program, the most important infrastructure project in the country, aimed at improving the reliability, resiliency, and capacity of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) rail line between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City.
- The bridge’s design includes 656 high-load multi-rotational disc bearings designed to support vertical loads ranging from 300,000 lbs to 6,000,000 and significant horizontal loads.
Awarded in October 2021, the project is a $1.56 billion design-build effort by the Skanska/Traylor Bros Joint Venture, with design responsibilities handled by Portal Partners, J.V., consisting of Gannett Fleming, HNTB, and Jacobs. The endeavor is not only notable for its size, stretching nearly 2.5 miles including the main and approach spans, but also for its engineering complexity. The new bridge, comprising three 400-foot-long tied arches over the Hackensack River, will improve 2.44 miles to the Northeast Corridor rail line, benefiting both Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains. In addition to the Portal North Bridge, the $16 billion Gateway program is currently in construction, in part to build new tunnels with which the tracks to this bridge will ultimately connect. Officials are shepherding a number of other projects that are also in the design and engineering phases, hoping to get to construction as long as there is federal funding available to supplement dollars from New York, New Jersey and Amtrak.
Portal Bridge for Developers: Building Cross-Chain Apps
In May, NJ TRANSIT pre-qualified four bidders and conducted a pre-bid conference and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise outreach. Skanska/Traylor Bros Joint Venture of Queens, New York was deemed the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. Also in January 2021, NJ TRANSIT advertised the Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the construction contract. The Portal North Bridge project is a testament to the collaborative effort between public entities and private companies, with significant funding from both federal and state sources, including a substantial $766.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration. Watson’s pivotal role in enhancing transportation infrastructure, promising a future of more dependable and efficient travel in the Northeast Corridor.
Five Infrastructure Challenges the Next Governor of New Jersey Will Face
As of 2020[update], Amtrak operated some 293 scheduled trains a week in both directions (about 42 per day) over this segment of the Northeast Corridor between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station. Five NJ Transit rail lines (Northeast Corridor Line, North Jersey Coast Line, Morris and Essex Lines, Montclair-Boonton Line, and Raritan Valley Line) with 388 trains use the bridge each weekday in both directions. The project is being funded by the US Department of Transportation, Transportation Trust Fund, New Jersey Turnpike Authority and Amtrak. In January 2021, Governor Murphy announced the signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement which secured $766.5 million in Federal Transit Administration funding to support the project’s final design and construction. In January 2021, Governor Murphy announced the signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement which secured $766.5 million in Federal Transit Administration funding to support the project’s construction. The project is being funded by the US Department of Transportation, NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak.
With the support of multiple blockchains, Portal Bridge offers developers a flexible platform to build decentralized applications (dApps) that require cross-chain interaction. Enjoy the benefit of low transaction fees when using Portal Bridge, making it a cost-effective solution for anyone looking to transfer assets across blockchains. The Wormhole protocol ensures Portal Bridge operates smoothly, with decentralized security that guarantees the safety of your transactions across supported chains.
- The Portal North Bridge Project will replace this outdated andincreasingly unreliable structure with a modern, more reliable fixed-spanbridge that is much higher over the water, allowing boats to pass underneathwithout the need to open and close.
- Corbett’s gray hair quip Monday was directed at Tony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak’s board, and Kris Kolluri, CEO and president of the Gateway Development Commission.
- But today, things have changed drastically, and blockchains such as Solana, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and Polygon are now home to a thriving and growing variety of dApps and passionate communities.
- Gardner said work is being done systemwide to try to prevent the same from happening again this year.
- Portal Bridge allows users to easily move tokens and NFTs across multiple blockchains, offering a secure and reliable way to manage assets on different networks.
- Watson’s pivotal role in enhancing transportation infrastructure, promising a future of more dependable and efficient travel in the Northeast Corridor.
- In January 2021, Governor Murphy announced the signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement which secured $766.5 million in Federal Transit Administration funding to support the project’s final design and construction.
- The bridge’s design includes 656 high-load multi-rotational disc bearings designed to support vertical loads ranging from 300,000 lbs to 6,000,000 and significant horizontal loads.
The new bridge is part of the broader Gateway Program that will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York. “Because it’s 50 feet over the water, it will not need to be opened. So it will be fixed. So all those issues related to opening and closing the bridge and the unreliability of that will go away,” Amtrak vice president Jaidev Sankar said. The new span will replace the the existing 114-year-old Portal Bridge, which opens for river traffic and often has mechanical issues.
Amtrak Vice President Infrastructure Project Delivery Jaidev Sankar joined NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin Corbett, the Federal Transit Adminsitration, Skanska, and other partners on site for the arch delivery in November Portalbridge 2024. Union Pacific railroad family tree, which dates back to the original transcontinental railroad. “And when the new tunnel’s open, you’ll have four tracks all the way into New York with modern signals,” Corbett said.
What about the Gateway project?
Built in 1910, the existingPortal Bridge is a two-track moveable swing span over the Hackensack River, anda critical link in the 10 mile stretch taking trains into and out of New York.This bridge, like the North River Tunnel, is a key choke point along theNortheast Corridor, and is in dire need of replacement. Once the infrastructure bill is enacted, we will have more than enough money to fully fund these projects. I applaud President Biden and Gov. Murphy on highlighting this project that is key to the future of our states, our region, and the entire country’s economic well-being.
- This milestone marks a significant step toward replacing the aging infrastructure and improving rail service along the busiest stretch of passenger rail in the country.
- – The first of three arches for the Portal North Bridge arrived at the construction site in Kearny Tuesday.
- A two-track replacement bridge – Portal North – will replace this outdated relic with a modern, high-level fixed span that does not open or close, eliminating the movable components and risk of malfunction.
- These trains are often delayed at the Portal Bridge—the agingmechanical & electrical components sometimes malfunction while opening andclosing, causing a cascade of delays.
- The Portal North Bridge Project is a testament to the importance of investing in modern infrastructure to support the growing demands of the Northeast Corridor.
- The Portal North Bridge, which is part of the larger Gateway Program, will greatly reduce gridlock caused by critical operation and maintenance issues of the existing 110-year-old swing bridge and improve service, reliability and capacity for rail travel between New Jersey and New York City.
Aging infrastructure, growing delays
- Stay updated with upcoming features and blockchain integrations that will expand the possibilities of Portal Bridge, making it an even more powerful cross-chain tool.
- A two-track replacement bridge — Portal North — will replace this outdated relic with a modern, high-level fixed span that does not open or close, eliminating the movable components and risk of malfunction.
- The bridge carries more than 450 daily Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT trains and 200,000 daily passengers over the Hackensack River — a critical link in the congested territory between Newark, NJ and New York – Penn Station.
- Learn how Portal Bridge uses decentralized technology from Wormhole to ensure your assets remain safe during transfers, preventing any potential risks.
- As the Acelas race up the East Coast, transit officials are touting this project as on time and on budget, at least for now.
- The project is being funded by the US Department of Transportation, Transportation Trust Fund, New Jersey Turnpike Authority and Amtrak.
- “Because it’s 50 feet over the water, it will not need to be opened. So it will be fixed. So all those issues related to opening and closing the bridge and the unreliability of that will go away,” Amtrak vice president Jaidev Sankar said.
But the entire project itself is about two-thirds complete and remains on time and on budget, with the first set of tracks expected to go live in the second half of 2026. Skanska-Traylor PNB Joint Venture of Queens, New York was deemed the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. A significant aspect of this project is the technical innovation and resilience brought forth by R.J. These are crucial for the operational integrity and longevity of the bridge, handling expansive movements and high loads. The bridge’s design includes 656 high-load multi-rotational disc bearings designed to support vertical loads ranging from 300,000 lbs to 6,000,000 and significant horizontal loads.
thoughts on “Groundbreaking marks start of work to replace New Jersey’s Portal Bridge”
The bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of its New York Tunnel Extension project, which also included the Sawtooth Bridges, North River Tunnels, and Manhattan Transfer station. A few years ago, the world of decentralized apps (dApps) and tokens was all about the Ethereum platform. But today, things have changed drastically, and blockchains such as Solana, Binance Smart Chain (BSC), and Polygon are now home to a thriving and growing variety of dApps and passionate communities. RJ Watson is a diversified design and manufacturing company that combines the power of innovation with engineering and fabrication to constantly improve what is essential to meet the demanding needs of the heavy construction industry.