News
November 29, 2024

First Arch Installed for New Jersey’s Portal North Bridge, Marking Major Milestone

Caroline Raffetto

KEARNY, N.J. — The first of three enormous arches for the new Portal North Bridge has been successfully lifted into place at the construction site on the Hackensack River, signaling a key milestone in the effort to replace the outdated bridge, which has long been a source of delays on the Northeast Corridor.

Transported by three tugboats, a heavy transport barge, and a spacer barge, the 2,500-ton, 400-foot-long, and 50-foot-wide arch traveled from the Port of Coeymans near Albany, N.Y. The 30-hour journey covered the distance at an average speed of 5 knots.

"The arrival of the first arch at the Portal North Bridge site marks a major milestone in transforming the Northeast Corridor into a more reliable transit route for tens of thousands of daily commuters," said NJ Transit CEO Kevin S. Corbett in a statement. "Through this project, NJ Transit is proud to demonstrate that, even in the Northeast – where mega-projects have historically faced delays and cost overruns – it is possible to deliver a transformational project on time and within budget."

NJ Transit is overseeing the project, which saw the agency approve a historic $1.56 billion contract in October 2021—the largest single construction award in its history. The new bridge will be a fixed span, offering 50 feet of clearance, replacing the 114-year-old swing bridge known for frequent malfunctions when opened for marine traffic. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy highlighted the significance of the arch placement, noting that the project is "one step closer to rebuilding our regional infrastructure and assuring that the most important public works project in America" — the Gateway Project along the Northeast Corridor — "continues to move forward."
News
November 29, 2024

First Arch Installed for New Jersey’s Portal North Bridge, Marking Major Milestone

Caroline Raffetto
New Project
New Jersey

KEARNY, N.J. — The first of three enormous arches for the new Portal North Bridge has been successfully lifted into place at the construction site on the Hackensack River, signaling a key milestone in the effort to replace the outdated bridge, which has long been a source of delays on the Northeast Corridor.

Transported by three tugboats, a heavy transport barge, and a spacer barge, the 2,500-ton, 400-foot-long, and 50-foot-wide arch traveled from the Port of Coeymans near Albany, N.Y. The 30-hour journey covered the distance at an average speed of 5 knots.

"The arrival of the first arch at the Portal North Bridge site marks a major milestone in transforming the Northeast Corridor into a more reliable transit route for tens of thousands of daily commuters," said NJ Transit CEO Kevin S. Corbett in a statement. "Through this project, NJ Transit is proud to demonstrate that, even in the Northeast – where mega-projects have historically faced delays and cost overruns – it is possible to deliver a transformational project on time and within budget."

NJ Transit is overseeing the project, which saw the agency approve a historic $1.56 billion contract in October 2021—the largest single construction award in its history. The new bridge will be a fixed span, offering 50 feet of clearance, replacing the 114-year-old swing bridge known for frequent malfunctions when opened for marine traffic. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy highlighted the significance of the arch placement, noting that the project is "one step closer to rebuilding our regional infrastructure and assuring that the most important public works project in America" — the Gateway Project along the Northeast Corridor — "continues to move forward."