Key milestone reached for new Portal North Bridge

“This is exactly the kind of legacy we think the president should latch onto. And we believe that when the bridge is completely done, we would like to have him here so he can take credit for this, as he rightly should,” Kolluri said. “This is one component. You’re right. Lots more to do. You don’t overcome 50 years of deferred investment in two, right? It’s a long-term program to rebuild the railway to 21st century standards,” Gardner said. Book your train and bus tickets today by choosing from over 30 U.S. train routes and 500 destinations in North America. Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT continue to advance project construction and achieved 75% completion in Fall 2024 when the the first of three arches were delivered to the project site and installed.

Portal Bridge

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.

Exploring Portal Bridge’s Ecosystem

• “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 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 Bridge stands out with its low fees, speed, and seamless support for multiple blockchains, ensuring the best experience for users and developers.
• 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.
• A new bridge will also permit higher trackspeeds and increased capacity and save millions of dollars in maintenancecosts.

KEARNY — Getting to the 50% completion mark on the new $2.3 billion Portal North Bridge — and getting there on time and on budget — required overcoming myriad challenges and, for some, debating who has accrued the most gray hairs. Stay updated with upcoming features and blockchain integrations that will expand the possibilities of Portal Bridge, making it an even more powerful cross-chain tool. Portal Bridge enables decentralized finance (DeFi) applications to function without the limitations of a single blockchain, enhancing liquidity and accessibility. The new bridge wouldn’t have been possible without support from President Trump during his first term. Gardner said work is being done systemwide to try to prevent the same from happening again this year.

Next PostRJ Watson Strengthens Toronto’s Infrastructure with the Ontario Line Bridges

As of 2020[update], Amtrak operated some 293 scheduled trains a week in both directions (about 42 per day) over this segment of the Northeast Corridor between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station. Five NJ Transit rail lines (Northeast Corridor Line, North Jersey Coast Line, Morris and Essex Lines, Montclair-Boonton Line, and Raritan Valley Line) with 388 trains use the bridge each weekday in both directions. The project is being funded by the US Department of Transportation, Transportation Trust Fund, New Jersey Turnpike Portalbridge Authority and Amtrak. In January 2021, Governor Murphy announced the signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement which secured $766.5 million in Federal Transit Administration funding to support the project’s final design and construction. In January 2021, Governor Murphy announced the signing of a Full Funding Grant Agreement which secured $766.5 million in Federal Transit Administration funding to support the project’s construction. The project is being funded by the US Department of Transportation, NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak.

Construction

But the entire project itself is about two-thirds complete and remains on time and on budget, with the first set of tracks expected to go live in the second half of 2026. Skanska-Traylor PNB Joint Venture of Queens, New York was deemed the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. A significant aspect of this project is the technical innovation and resilience brought forth by R.J. These are crucial for the operational integrity and longevity of the bridge, handling expansive movements and high loads. 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.

• 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.
• Each arch weighs approximately 2,500 tons and measures about 400 feet long and 80 feet tall.
• At times, rail engineers have had to use a sledgehammer to nudge the bridge closed.
• Officials say the new bridge is higher, and will not have to open and close.
• 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.
• Due to age and fragility, trains are restricted to a maximum of 60 miles per hour over the bridge.

“An important milestone”

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.

Portal Bridge’s Future: New Chains and Features Coming Soon

Corbett’s gray hair quip Monday was directed at Tony Coscia, chairman of Amtrak’s board, and Kris Kolluri, CEO and president of the Gateway Development Commission. Learn how to set up your wallet, select assets, and initiate cross-chain transfers with ease using the simple Portal Bridge interface. Portal Bridge is constantly evolving, with future updates planned to expand its functionality and support additional blockchains for even more seamless cross-chain transfers. “This is a great example of a project that President Trump first supported,” said Kris Kolluri, CEO and president of NJ Transit. Many billions of dollars of capital work is needed along the Northeast Corridor — the busiest passenger rail route in North America — which has experienced substantial increases in delays and cancellations as aging wires, signals, power systems and other infrastructure components become increasingly unreliable.

RJ Watson’s Role in the Portal North Bridge Transformation

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.

Replacement

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.

Making BridgesBetter

• Learn how to set up your wallet, select assets, and initiate cross-chain transfers with ease using the simple Portal Bridge interface.
• With that, 80% of the construction is done on the Portal North Bridge, the $2.3 billion project to replace its 114-year-old, breakdown-prone predecessor.
• 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.
• Skanska-Traylor PNB Joint Venture of Queens, New York was deemed the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.
• 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.
• A significant aspect of this project is the technical innovation and resilience brought forth by R.J.
• 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.
• 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 and New Jersey Transit.

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. Learn how Portal Bridge uses decentralized technology from Wormhole to ensure your assets remain safe during transfers, preventing any potential risks. Discover the wide range of features, integrations, and blockchain networks that are supported by Portal Bridge, enhancing your cross-chain experience. Transfer NFTs between different blockchain networks seamlessly, preserving their value and authenticity through Portal Bridge’s secure infrastructure. Portal Bridge allows users to easily move tokens and NFTs across multiple blockchains, offering a secure and reliable way to manage assets on different networks. The Portal North Bridge Project will replace this outdated andincreasingly unreliable structure with a modern, more reliable fixed-spanbridge that is much higher over the water, allowing boats to pass underneathwithout the need to open and close.

As the Acelas race up the East Coast, transit officials are touting this project as on time and on budget, at least for now. The hope is the new bridge is structurally complete by February, 2025, with trains rolling over the new bridge by the spring of 2026. With that, 80% of the construction is done on the Portal North Bridge, the $2.3 billion project to replace its 114-year-old, breakdown-prone predecessor.

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. Union Pacific railroad family tree, which dates back to the original transcontinental railroad. “And when the new tunnel’s open, you’ll have four tracks all the way into New York with modern signals,” Corbett said.

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.

Making BridgesBetter

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.

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.

President Biden and Governor Murphy Break Ground on the Portal North Bridge

A new bridge will also permit higher trackspeeds and increased capacity and save millions of dollars in maintenancecosts. These trains are often delayed at the Portal Bridge—the agingmechanical & electrical components sometimes malfunction while opening andclosing, causing a cascade of delays. Two blocks are at each end of the bridge while two more sit adjacent to the center of the bridge. After the wedges are withdrawn, the center-bearing supports the structure as the bridge is swung open and returns it to its closed position once the river traffic has passed through one or both of the navigation channels.

LEGOLAND NY – An Economic and Infrastructure Success Story In a Region That Sorely Needs Them

By the 2000s, the Portal Bridge train speeds were limited to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). 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. This testing is indicative of the project’s commitment to safety and durability, setting a new standard for infrastructure projects in the region.

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 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.