Eliminating the Portal Bridge, that rusty bane of commuters when it gets stuck after it opens, is a significant step closer to being replaced.
Really. All that remains to make it happen is a check. A big federal check.
Preparation work for a $1.5 billion project to replace the 108-year-old bridge that carries 450 NJ Transit and Amtrak trains a day over the Hackensack River in Kearny has been finished, on-time and on budget, NJ Transit officials said.
Now that the prep work has been done, the only thing standing in the way of building a new bridge is cold hard cash from the federal government, Amtrak and NJ Transit officials said.
“We eagerly await the USDOT’s approval of our funding application to maintain forward progress on this vital project,” said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit executive director. “We are one step closer to improving the reliability and predictability our customers deserve.”
Other officials from the Gateway Development Corporation that oversaw the work, said they hope the on-time and on-budget completion of this work will help make the case for federal funding of the bridge replacement.
A revised grant application to build a new 2.3 mile-long Portal North Bridge was submitted last June after the Murphy administration’s commitment increase the state’s funding share of Portal Bridge to $600 million and demonstrate that costs had been cut. The Federal Transit Administration is still reviewing it.
That project would build a higher two-track replacement bridge that doesn’t have to open to let barges pass underneath. The current swing bridge pivots to open and let barges pass by.
The problem with the current bridge is it doesn’t always close properly, requiring crews to bang rails back in place with sledgehammers, delaying tens of thousands of riders on the Northeast Corridor line.
The $20 million in prep work included building a retaining wall just west of Secaucus Junction to support the tracks to the new bridge, new high voltage transmission poles for electric lines that power trains, new fiber optic poles to carry fiber optic cable lines, building a construction pier and other work.
That was funded by a $16 million federal grant and $4 million from the state was started with much fanfare in October 2017. A ground breaking ceremony was held with then Gov. Chris Christie, U.S. Senator Cory Booker and a who’s who of elected officials. Christie said funding was right around the corner.
Funding was delayed because of bickering between the Trump Administration and the state’s Congressional delegation over funding the larger Gateway Tunnel project that Portal Bridge is part of. Trump wanted Gateway money out of the federal budget, the delegation fought to fund work toward building tow new Hudson River rail tunnels in the budget. Those tunnels also were built in 1910.
Of the 114 times the Portal Bridge had to open in a year, there was a mechanical failure 15 percent of the time, according to Amtrak. The proposed new bridge will be high enough over the water that it won't have open for boats.
Last year Amtrak and NJ Transit officials asked the U.S. Coast Guard to pass new rules that would require 24-hours notice of a request to open the bridge to prevent rush hour incidents.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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