RJ Watsons Role in the Portal North Bridge Transformation

While Trump was accused of slowing down the Gateway tunnels project to retaliate against then-Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer during his first term, his administration did approve the Portal North Bridge project in 2020. Gov. Phil Murphy also increased the local funding pledge for the bridge to $600 million, using 30-year bonds that would be repaid by the state Transportation Trust Fund. “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. “There is the construction work with all these assets here and then there’s the cutover, which is the interface of the existing railway — so there’s more work than what you see here that has to happen, and that’s interfacing the existing tracks, switches and signals,” said Stephen Gardner, CEO of Amtrak. « This is not just about moving people through the corridor daily in a safe and reliable manner, but it is about making sure that we have an infrastructure worthy of the 21st century, » Kolluri said. Roughly 450 trains cross the old Portal Bridge daily, carrying some 200,000 Amtrak and NJ Transit riders over the Hackensack River.

RJ Watson’s Role in the Portal North Bridge Transformation

The Portal North Bridge, which is part of the larger Gateway Program, will greatly reduce gridlock caused by critical operation and maintenance issues of the existing 110-year-old swing bridge and improve service, reliability and capacity for rail travel between New Jersey and New York City. A two-track replacement bridge — Portal North — will replace this outdated relic with a modern, high-level fixed span that does not open or close, eliminating the movable components and risk of malfunction. The new bridge will rise more than 50-feet over the river and, including the approaches, span nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor. Portal North Bridge is an important element of the broader Gateway Program to double rail capacity between Newark and New York. The existing, century-old Portal Bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and entered revenue service in November 1910. The bridge carries 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, NJ and New York – Penn Station.

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.

Replacement

The engineering challenges addressed include managing the movement of the expansion bearings, which is approximately 62.5 inches every day (one way) for the arches and 31 inches every day (one way) for the approach girders over a minimum 50-year service period. The Portal North Bridge Project is a testament to the importance of investing in modern infrastructure to support the growing demands of the Northeast Corridor. The Gateway Program, of which the Portal North Bridge Project is a part, represents a significant step toward ensuring the long-term sustainability and efficiency of the region’s rail network. The gray hairs that went mostly unmentioned Monday were those of the commuters who must deal with more unpredictable delays and other frustrations of commuting on the busiest stretch of rail in the country — one that has not received the proper investment in recent decades to prevent delays and outages.

• A new bridge will also permit higher trackspeeds and increased capacity and save millions of dollars in maintenancecosts.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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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.

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

Once construction begins, the construction contract is anticipated to take approximately five and a half years to complete. Amtrak executives say replacing the bridge will improve reliability for Amtrak passengers and New Jersey Transit riders. 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 existing bridge is a major bottleneck and source of delays to both NJ Transit and Amtrak due to its aging mechanical and electrical components. 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. This milestone marks a significant step toward replacing the aging infrastructure and improving rail service along the busiest stretch of passenger rail in the country.

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

Officials say the new bridge is higher, and will not have to open and close. If you’ve taken the train across the Hackensack River into Manhattan, chances are you’ve been delayed by problems at the Portal Bridge. – The first of three arches for the Portal North Bridge arrived at the construction site in Kearny Tuesday. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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.

Part of the Gateway Program

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.

RJ Watson’s Role in the Portal North Bridge Transformation

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.

• The Portal North Bridge Project is a testament to the importance of investing in modern infrastructure to support the growing demands of the Northeast Corridor.
• 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.
• 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.
• The new bridge will rise 50-feet over the river and, including the approaches, span nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor.
• This milestone marks a significant step toward replacing the aging infrastructure and improving rail service along the busiest stretch of passenger rail in the country.
• The new bridge is part of the broader Gateway Program that will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York.
• 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.
• The two-track, moveable span is a major bottleneck and source of delay, particularly when the aging bridge malfunctions during opening and closing for maritime traffic.
• 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.

River traffic

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.

Upcoming Features and Enhancements of Portal Bridge

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.

Restoring the George: Revitalizing the Iconic George Washington Bridge

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.

• 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.
• 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.
• Book your train and bus tickets today by choosing from over 30 U.S. train routes and 500 destinations in North America.
• Amtrak executives say replacing the bridge will improve reliability for Amtrak passengers and New Jersey Transit riders.
• 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.

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.

Corbett said he thinks the project could get done under budget before its intended completion in 2026. “We are transforming the way train travel happens in the U.S., we are creating a level of mobility for New York City rail that has not existed for decades in this country, and that is because of the leadership that has been willing to make that kind of investment,” he said. Portal Bridge stands out with its low fees, speed, and seamless support for multiple blockchains, ensuring the best experience for users and developers. “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.

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.

• 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.
• Portal Bridge is constantly evolving, with future updates planned to expand its functionality and support additional blockchains for even more seamless cross-chain transfers.
• 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.
• By the 2000s, the Portal Bridge train speeds were limited to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).
• 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.
• RJ Watson is a diversified design and manufacturing company that combines the power of innovation with engineering and fabrication to constantly improve what is essential to meet the demanding needs of the heavy construction industry.

NJ Transit is the primary user of the Northeast Corridor in the New York metropolitan region and pays Amtrak, which owns and maintains its infrastructure, to do so. Portal Bridge was constructed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1907 and began revenue operations in November 1910. 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.