Train service between Newark and New York was limited Friday, with delays of up to an hour due to overhead wire issues at the Portal Bridge. Because of that disruption, officials authorized use of the new Portal North Bridge on Friday instead of Monday, March 16, three days ahead of schedule.
According to News12 New Jersey, Northeast Corridor trains were to make local stops from Trenton to Newark Penn Station, while North Jersey Coast Line trains will make local stops from Rahway to Newark Penn Station.
Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ Transit, said Amtrak crews responded overnight to address the issue near the old bridge, said the news outlet. He said the situation is the kind of problem the new construction aims to prevent. Kolluri said he spoke with Roger Harris, the president of Amtrak, early Friday and said work is underway to restore normal service as soon as possible.
Officials said they hope commuters can return to regular schedules once repairs are complete.
The old bridge is still in use and will remain so through the Fall until the second track is cut over. Â The cutover involves transferring rail traffic from one track that crosses the more than 116-year-old Portal Bridge to the newly built Portal North Bridge. The existing Portal Bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and entered revenue service in November 1910.
On Feb. 15 Amtrak started construction and operational activities to cut over rail operations from the existing Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River.
The Portal North Bridge 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.
The new Portal North Bridge will rise 50 feet over the Hackensack River, doubling the height clearance and will allow marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic. The new bridge eliminates the movable span, improves reliability, allows for increased train speeds, and increases capacity.
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 for $1.56 billion, the largest award in NJ Transit’s history. The project is being funded by the US Department of Transportation, Transportation Trust Fund, New Jersey Turnpike Authority and Amtrak.
