NJ TRANSIT, the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system, and Amtrak recently announced that the Portal North Bridge has reached 50 percent completion.
“This landmark achievement is another milestone on the path of building a modern transit infrastructure linking the entire northeast corridor,” Fran O’Connor, NJ TRANSIT board chairwoman and New Jersey Department of Transportation acting commissioner, said.
The Portal North Bridge project will replace a 114-year-old swing bridge on 2.44 miles of the Northeast Corridor. The bridge opens for maritime traffic which causes a bottleneck along the rail line.
The new bridge will be a fixed span, two-track structure. It will have nearly double the height clearance, allowing marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic.
Work includes concrete piers, demolition of the existing bridge, deep foundations, rail systems, retaining walls, structural steel bridge spans, and related incidental works.
The Federal Transit Administration awarded the project a $766.5 million grant in 2021. The project is also funded by Amtrak, the U.S. Department of Transportation, New Jersey and New York.
NJ TRANSIT awarded a $1.6 billion construction contract to Skanska/Traylor Bros PNB Joint Venture.
NJ TRANSIT’s rail system includes three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines 166 rail stations and 62 light rail stations.