Corbett said he thinks the project could get done under budget before its intended completion in 2026. “We are transforming the way train travel happens in the U.S., we are creating a level of mobility for New York City rail that has not existed for decades in this country, and that is because of the leadership that has been willing to make that kind of investment,” he said. Portal Bridge stands out with its low fees, speed, and seamless support for multiple blockchains, ensuring the best experience for users and developers. “This is exactly the kind of legacy we think the president should latch on to, and we believe that when the bridge is completely done, we would like to have him here so he can take credit for it, as he rightly should,” Kolluri said.

Governor Phil Murphy

Portal North Bridge is an important element of the broader Gateway Program that will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York. KEARNY – President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Governor Phil Murphy, and federal, state, and local officials today broke ground on the critical Portal North Bridge. The project is finally moving forward after a collaborative effort by the Murphy Administration, the Biden Administration, New Jersey’s Congressional members and Senators, and other key partners, after many years of delays.

Portal Bridge

• 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 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.
• “We are transforming the way train travel happens in the U.S., we are creating a level of mobility for New York City rail that has not existed for decades in this country, and that is because of the leadership that has been willing to make that kind of investment,” he said.
• “This is exactly the kind of legacy we think the president should latch on to, and we believe that when the bridge is completely done, we would like to have him here so he can take credit for it, as he rightly should,” Kolluri said.
• 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.
• “Today marks an important milestone for the Gateway Program with the arrival of a new arch that will help replace the century old Portal North Bridge,” Governor Phil Murphy said.
• 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 2024.

The bridge’s limited clearance of only 23 feet above the Hackensack River further restricts train speeds to a maximum of 60 miles per hour. TRENTON – Governor Murphy today announced that the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors has approved a contract with Skanska/Traylor Bros Joint Venture for the construction of the new Portal North Bridge. The project, a critical part of the Gateway Program, will eliminate the critical issues caused by operation and maintenance of the existing swing bridge that have long plagued the most heavily transited portion of the Northeast Corridor. The largest award in NJ TRANSIT’s history, this monumental step exemplifies the Murphy Administration’s commitment to funding critical infrastructure and providing investments that will benefit current and future generations of New Jerseyans.

Portal Bridge for Developers: Building Cross-Chain Apps

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. When completed, The Gateway Program will double rail capacity and enhance service along this heavily trafficked route. Including supporting more one seat rides to New York Penn Station from New Jersey. The Portal North Bridge will replace the outdated swing bridge with a modern, high-level fixed span that does not open or close, thereby eliminating the movable components and the risk of malfunction. The existing Portal Bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and entered revenue service in November 1910.

Construction

The massive infrastructure investment represents the single largest construction award in NJ TRANSIT’s history and further exemplifies the Murphy Administration’s commitment to funding projects that will help New Jersey continue to grow and prosper for generations to come. “We stand here today at the groundbreaking for the Portal North Bridge because, after a decade of dithering and divisiveness by others, Governor Phil Murphy said ‘damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead’,” said Gateway Development Commission Member Jerry Zaro. Portal North Bridge project is an important initial element of the broader Gateway Program which will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York.

• 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.
• The three are among the officials who have spent years, in some cases more than a decade, trying to improve the most critical chokepoint of the Northeast Corridor, which includes replacing the Portal Bridge and repairing the equally old Hudson River rail tunnel, as well as constructing a new two-track tube.
• Portal Bridge is constantly evolving, with future updates planned to expand its functionality and support additional blockchains for even more seamless cross-chain transfers.
• The project is finally moving forward after a collaborative effort by the Murphy Administration, the Biden Administration, New Jersey’s Congressional members and Senators, and other key partners, after many years of delays.
• By the 2000s, the Portal Bridge train speeds were limited to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).
• 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.
• NJ Transit is the primary user of the Northeast Corridor in the New York metropolitan region and pays Amtrak, which owns and maintains its infrastructure, to do so.

RJ Watson Strengthens Toronto’s Infrastructure with the Ontario Line Bridges

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.

Key milestone reached for new Portal North Bridge

Only 23 feet of clearance separate the Hackensack River and the bottom of the bridge. The Portal North Bridge project is an important initial element of the broader Gateway Program which will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York. The project will eliminate the existing 110-year-old swing bridge which has been the enduring source of major service disruptions for NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak customers traveling on the Northeast Corridor. Earlier this month, Governor Murphy and NJ TRANSIT Board Members announced the approval of a $1,559,993,000 construction contract for the Portal North Bridge.

Portal Token Bridge:

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.

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.

Wormhole Integration: The Core of Portal Bridge

• “This is exactly the kind of legacy we think the president should latch on to, and we believe that when the bridge is completely done, we would like to have him here so he can take credit for it, as he rightly should,” Kolluri said.
• “We are transforming the way train travel happens in the U.S., we are creating a level of mobility for New York City rail that has not existed for decades in this country, and that is because of the leadership that has been willing to make that kind of investment,” he said.
• 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.
• The project is being funded by the US Department of Transportation, NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak.
• Roughly 450 trains cross the old Portal Bridge daily, carrying some 200,000 Amtrak and NJ Transit riders over the Hackensack River.
• Portal Bridge stands out with its low fees, speed, and seamless support for multiple blockchains, ensuring the best experience for users and developers.

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.

“The jobs, economic growth, and most important improved quality of life Gateway brings will pay dividends for generations to come.” The next arch is scheduled to be installed in early 2025, continuing the progress of this transformative project. Each arch weighs approximately 2,500 tons and measures about 400 feet long and 80 feet tall. Building, transporting, and installing each arch requires careful coordination and precision. From heavy machinery operators to structural engineers, the collaborative effort of the construction workers and skilled laborers is vital in executing a large-scale infrastructure project of this magnitude.

RJ Watson’s Role in the Portal North Bridge Transformation

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 portal bridge 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.

Groundbreaking marks start of work to replace New Jersey’s Portal Bridge

It will be a taller, fixed-span replacement for the 114-year-old swing span that has been prone to getting stuck in recent years, causing major delays to NJ Transit and Amtrak trains headed in and out of Manhattan. This milestone comes as President Donald Trump’s federal spending cuts and freezes worry officials at all levels of government, especially in transportation, where large capital projects have long lead times and require federal aid. KEARNY — Riders on one of the more than 450 trains that cross the Portal Bridge on any given day can now see the third and final arch pressed into place on the structure that will replace the decrepit swing-span bridge. In October 2021, the NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors approved a contract with Skanska/Traylor Bros Joint Venture for the construction of the new Portal North Bridge. The $1,559,993,000 construction contract for the project, the largest award in NJ TRANSIT’s history, includes construction of retaining walls, deep foundations, concrete piers, structural steel bridge spans, rail systems, demolition of the existing bridge, and related incidental works.

The two-track, moveable span is a major bottleneck and source of delay, particularly when the aging bridge malfunctions during opening and closing for maritime traffic. “For hundreds of thousands of New Jersey’s daily rail commuters, travel has been dictated by the limitations of aging infrastructure. However, the arrival of one of the Portal North Bridge’s three arches marks a significant step toward upgrading this vital section of the Northeast Corridor,” Senator Cory Booker said. The Portal Bridge, also known as the “Portal,” was opened in 1910 by the Pennsylvania Railroad to allow maritime traffic to pass through by swinging open its middle span. However, this functionality has led to frequent malfunctions and delays, especially given the bridge’s age and fragility. At times, rail engineers have had to use a sledgehammer to nudge the bridge closed.

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.

Aging infrastructure, growing delays

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.