The new bridge will rise 50-feet over the river and, including the approaches, span nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor. This two-track, moveable swing span is a major bottleneck and source of delays, particularly when the aging bridge malfunctions during opening and closing for maritime traffic.Ī two-track replacement bridge – Portal North – will replace this outdated relic with a modern, high-level fixed span that does not open or close, eliminating the movable components and risk of malfunction.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bridge carried 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, New Jersey and Penn Station, New York. The existing, 111-year-old Portal Bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and entered revenue service in November 1910. Moreover, as swing bridges age, they’re more likely to have malfunctions that keep the bridge open for longer, with no explanation or timetable for the delay. Generally, the portion of the bridge on your side of the river is so tall and straight that it blocks the view of what’s passing. Plus, if you’re a rail enthusiast, you may even enjoy watching the train pass!īeing stuck at a swing bridge crossing is a different story. Nevertheless, you can see the train passing and roughly estimate how long you’ll have to wait. NJ Transit and Amtrak are replacing the century-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey with a higher bridge that will not have to open and close for river traffic.įor most people, being stuck at a railroad crossing is a nuisance.
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