NJ TRANSIT, the largest statewide public transportation system in the United States, recently accepted delivery of the first of three arches that will support the new Portal North Bridge.
The 5 million-pound, 400-foot-long, 50-foot-wide arch traveled down the Hudson River at approximately 5.75 miles per hour, arriving at the constructions site in Kearny 30 hours after it left the Port of Coeymans near Albany, N.Y. A heavy transport barge, a spacer barge and three tugboats towed the arch.
“Seeing the first Portal arch arrive at the construction site is a tangible reminder that thousands of commuters’ daily rides are about to get a lot smoother,” Fran O’Connor, New Jersey Department of Transportation commissioner and NJ TRANSIT board chairwoman, said. “The new Portal North Bridge is just the first of many capital improvements underway to help provide reliable and safe public transportation in New Jersey.”
The new, two-track, high-level, fixed-span bridge will replace a 114-year-old swing bridge that often has mechanical problems. The new bridge will rise 50 feet over the Hackensack River, more than doubling the height clearance, and is expected to improve service and capacity along 2.44 miles of the Northeast Corridor.
The U.S. Department of Transportation, New Jersey, New York, and Amtrak funded the project.