First arch installed for new Portal Bridge; trains expected to cross in spring 2026

marzo 17, 2025

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What about the Gateway project?

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 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.

Wormhole Integration: The Core of Portal Bridge

Much of the credit for the historic levels of investment in transit and rail goes to the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act, the hallmark $1.2 trillion funding package of President Joe Biden’s administration. But the kick-start to the first phase of the $18 billion Gateway program was the Portal Bridge replacement project, which received a green light under the Trump administration after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ponied up $600 million in state funding to get the grant application over the finish line. Bureaucratic malaise, poor relationships between the involved agencies and questions about who is paying for what are among the many reasons a bridge that has more than 400 trains cross it on a daily basis had to wait well past its 100th birthday before construction began to replace it. Portal Bridge provides a secure, fast, and efficient way to transfer assets like tokens and NFTs across various blockchain networks, backed by Wormhole technology. NJ TRANSIT also advertised the Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the construction contract for the Portal North Bridge in January 2021. The procurement was a two-step process, the initial step being the Special Pre-Qualification of Bidders.

The Benefits of Using Portal Bridge for NFTs

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.
Gardner said work is being done systemwide to try to prevent the same from happening again this year.
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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.

In May, NJ TRANSIT pre-qualified four bidders and conducted a pre-bid conference and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise outreach. Skanska/Traylor Bros Joint Venture of Queens, New York was deemed the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. Also in January 2021, NJ TRANSIT advertised the Invitation for Bid (IFB) for the construction contract. The Portal North Bridge project is a testament to the collaborative effort between public entities and private companies, with significant funding from both federal and state sources, including a substantial $766.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration. Watson’s pivotal role in enhancing transportation infrastructure, promising a future of more dependable and efficient travel in the Northeast Corridor.

RJ Watson’s Role in the Portal North Bridge Transformation

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.

Portal Token Bridge:

«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. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy were among a large contingent of federal, state, local, and transportation officials on hand Monday, Aug. 1, for groundbreaking for the Portal North Bridge. The new structure will replace the 112-year-old, often-unreliable swing bridge over the Hackensack River on the Northeast Corridor, said to be the nation’s busiest rail bridge. The swing span and special “miter rail” configuration pose maintenance and operational challenges. Due to age and fragility, trains are restricted to a maximum of 60 miles per hour over the 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.
“Most of infrastructure, when it’s doing its job, people don’t know about it,» Gardner said. «People know about Portal Bridge because sometimes it gets stuck in the open position, it’s caught on fire a few times — it’s deserved its retirement day for a long time.
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.
This testing is indicative of the project’s commitment to safety and durability, setting a new standard for infrastructure projects in the region.
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.
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.
On November 26, 2024, the first of three massive arches to support the new Portal North Bridge was delivered by barge after a 30-hour journey down the Hudson River.

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

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.

Why Choose Portal Bridge for Cross-Chain Transfers?

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.

What about the Gateway project?

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.

Part of the Gateway Program

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.
Corbett said he thinks the project could get done under budget before its intended completion in 2026.
The Portal North Bridge Project is one of New Jersey’s most important transportation projects, replacing the century-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey.
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.
It was because of improved relationships and partnerships between the agencies and assistance from legislative leaders in Washington that they were able to accomplish that and the success of the project so far, Corbett added.

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.

«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 portal bridge 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.

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.

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.
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.
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 bridge earned the name “Portal,” because it leads the Northeast Corridor (NEC) rail line to the “portal” of the North River Tunnel, located just three miles away.

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.

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.

New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJ I-Bank) Hosting Spring Seminars

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.

Governor Phil Murphy

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.