Conrail Corporation, the nation’s largest switching and terminal rail service provider, announced the opening of the new Point-No-Point Bridge recently.
The new bridge is the result of a three-plus year construction project and will provide a critical link in Northern New Jersey across the Passaic River between Newark and Kearny. The Point-No-Point Bridge is a movable, single leaf bascule span that replaces the previous 120-year-old swing bridge built in 1901.
“The new Point-No-Point Bridge represents Conrail’s commitment to modernize critical infrastructure,” Brian Gorton, president and CEO of Conrail, said. “The new bridge will streamline operations enhancing Conrail’s world class level of reliability and efficiency serving local businesses, regional supply chains and the Port of New York and New Jersey.”
The bridge will carry more than 40 freight trains a day over the Passaic and will speed up travel along the route. Previously, a full cycle to open and close the bridge for marine traffic would take more than five hours. The new bridge opens and closes within ten minutes. To avoid disruption to train traffic during construction a new alignment was selected for the bridge that resulted in the replacement of a second bridge over PATH’s commuter railroad and the replacement of existing interlocking.
The bridge is owned by Conrail Corporation as part of its New Jersey operating district. Officials said the project had a $200 million price tag and started in July of 2022. Conrail funded the project with the help of $19 million from a New Jersey Department of Transportation Rail Freight Assistance Program grant, and more than $59 million through a Federal Railroad Administration grant.