39 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

The New York Times, 12/11/18:

For 80,000 Commuters, One Nemesis: A 108-Year-Old Bridge

 

 

It could be the plot of a Stephen King novel: A train full of commuters hurtling toward New York City in the pre-dawn dark comes to a screeching halt at Little Snake Hill in New Jersey.

 

The passengers steel themselves against the collective fear that the bridge their train is poised to cross will swing open to allow an approaching boat to pass.

 

But it’s too late. The 108-year-old Portal Bridge slowly pivots over the Hackensack River as thousands of commuters say a memorial prayer for whatever plans they had for the day.

 

In the horror stories that train riders in the New York area share, there is no more menacing boogeyman than the Portal Bridge.  .  .  .  (emphasis added)

 

Continue here.

[bratkinson]

For all the political discussions and preliminary 'engineering' regarding the Portal Bridge, I got to wondering. 

 

Wouldn't it be faster/easier/far less costly to simply 'lower the water' and weld the bridge in place.   Of course, I'm assuming the bridge is structurally sound enough to last another 100 years or so.  I know zero about building a system of locks, and given that the tracks are about 15 feet above water level as well as sea level, building 5 locks there would require exceptionally strong walls to hold back water trying to fill the void through the walls when the level is dropped 50 feet, or 100 feet, or whatever.  Certainly, digging a hole, putting walls on 2 sides and big gates on the other two sides is far less complex and therefore less costly than building a new bridge...right?   Or would it turn into a 'Big Dig' boondoggle filled with NY and NJ politics?

[KevinKorell]

No, I don't think we want to weld in place a bridge that is functionally obsolete. It needs not only to be replaced, but its capacity needs to be doubled as well to accommodate today's rail traffic needs.   Along with building a new tunnel under the river (to carry 2 new tracks), a new bridge will be needed as well to handle that capacity. Remember most of the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington is 3 or 4 tracks.  But currently at the biggest choke point, that between Newark and New York which not only carries Amtrak but also several NJ TRANSIT lines, it's only 2 tracks.

[KevinKorell]

nj.com    2/22/19:

 

 

The rusty old bridge that kills your NJ Transit commute is very close to being replaced

 

 

Eliminating the Portal Bridge, that rusty bane of commuters when it gets stuck after it opens, is a significant step closer to being replaced.

 

 

They're not eliminating the bridge as the above implies. They are eliminating the bottleneck caused by the bridge when it opens or malfunctions.   More here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 2/25/19:

NJ Transit, Amtrak wrap up early construction of Portal North Bridge replacement

 

 

New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit), in partnership with Amtrak, completed early construction work for the Portal North Bridge replacement program on time and on budget, the transit agency announced late last week in a press release.

 

SNIP

 

The completed work included:

• installation of new fiber optic poles to carry fiber optic cable lines that help provide data communications and transmission services to New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area;
• construction of a utility protection structure to protect a century-old cast iron water main that supplies water to Jersey City;
• construction of a finger pier to support future construction activities;
• installation of two high voltage transmission poles that carry power lines that power trains along this section of the Northeast Corridor; and
• construction of a retaining wall west of Secaucus Junction to support the new bridge alignment.

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

WABC New York, 8/28/19
 

New Jersey pushes for federal funding to replace crumbling Portal Bridge, which carries 450 Amtrak, NJ Transit trains each weekday

 

 

NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Every day, the 110-year-old Portal Bridge in New Jersey carries 450 trains into and out of New York City -- and political leaders are painting a picture of pending doom if the structure is not replaced in short order.

SNIP

 

A replacement bridge would cost $1.8 billion, and the state is setting aside $600 million for the project but is calling on the federal government to kick in its share to get this off the ground.

The bridge had been considered a high priority but was downgraded by the Trump administration to a lower prioirty item.

Yet officials in New Jersey are calling it the most important infrastructure project in the entire nation.

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 8/30/19
 

NJ leaders call for federal funding of Portal North Bridge replacement

 

 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and other government leaders representing the state are calling on the Trump administration to help fund a replacement for the 108-year-old moveable Portal North Bridge.

Murphy, along with New Jersey's federal delegation, held a press event this week to talk about the need for replacing the bridge, its importance to the regional and national economy and to implore the Trump administration and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to get on board to help fund the project.

 

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[CNJRoss]

RT&S, 8/29/19
 

Gateway project rail bridge continues to decay; funding still elusive

 

 

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer wants to see a project involving the Portal Bridge “cross the finish line.” Trying to secure funding, however, has been an endless marathon.

 

The Portal Bridge is about 100 years old and sits in the New York City metropolitan area, and during extreme heat and cold periods the swing span, which is used for maritime traffic, has to be hit with a sledgehammer so it can fully close. The rail bridge is part of the proposed Gateway project, which is still without federal funding. The span also has caught on fire twice.

 

.  .  .The bridge does not appear to be a priority for the U.S. DOT, and the Trump administration continues to insist that the states of New York and New Jersey fund the Gateway project.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading,5/27/20

 

FRA awards $91.5 million to Portal North Bridge replacement

 

The FRA awarded Amtrak $55.1 million to fund construction of a new bridge span above the Hackensack River. Photo – Amtrak

 

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded $91.5 million to Amtrak and New Jersey Transit for the project to replace the 110-year-old Portal North Bridge on the Northeast Corridor (NEC), U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced yesterday.

 

The award includes $55.1 million to Amtrak to fund construction of a new bridge span above the Hackensack River, and $36.4 million to NJ Transit to reconstruct an electrical substation in Kearny, New Jersey, that powers NEC main line services. The substation was damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

 

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[CNJRoss]

NorthJersey.com 5/26/20
 

Amtrak and NJ Transit awarded $91.5M in federal funding Portal North Bridge replacement

 

 

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $91.5 million to Amtrak and NJ Transit for the replacement of the century-old Portal North Bridge in Kearny, Gov. Phil Murphy said on Tuesday. 

 

The bridge, which carries more than 450 Amtrak and NJ Transit trains a day, was given higher priority status in February by federal transit officials for repairs, which made the $1.8 billion replacement project eligible for federal funding. 

 

"This is a huge win for our state, our commuters and the future of our economy," Murphy said at a press conference on Tuesday.

 

Continue here.

 

Related:  USDOT Announces $302.6 Million in ‘State of Good Repair’ Grants