A new span for a new age

A modern bridge forges an efficient connection

It’s out with the old bridge and in with the new for Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT, with a little help from AECOM. Our team, in joint venture, is collaborating with both agencies to provide construction management and inspection services for a modern, two-track, high-level span that will replace the 113-year-old moveable swing span Portal North Bridge — the nation’s busiest rail bridge — over the Hackensack River in Kearny, New Jersey.

The tied arch replacement bridge will rise 50-feet over the river. As a fixed-in-place bridge, it eliminates the risk of delays and malfunctions resulting from opening and closing for maritime traffic.

Replacing the original bridge, which entered service in November 1910, will break a major bottleneck for this critical link in the congested territory between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City. Prior to the pandemic, the bridge carried more than 450 Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT trains and 200,000 passengers each day.

A critical part of the region’s transportation infrastructure

An important advance, the new Portal North Bridge is also a key component of the signature $16.1 billion Gateway Program between New York and New Jersey. The program includes building two new tunnels under the Hudson River and rehabilitating the existing 111-year-old tunnels, which were damaged by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. The Gateway Program is expected to increase rail capacity and rail speeds across this congested rail corridor.

From civil to systems

The AECOM joint venture construction management team has managed the on-time completion of the major civil works and has transitioned its focus to systems and electrical tasks to get the right-of-way ready for Amtrak operations.

Making tracks for a new crossing

The new span — an essential part of the transportation network in the northeast — will be built next to the original bridge. The new span’s first track is expected to be open in Spring of 2026. The last track could be put into service by the end of 2026, with full completion targeted for 2027.

Replacing the old bridge will finally relieve a major rail chokepoint, enabling Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT to optimize passenger service while serving as a critical component of the future of transportation for New Jersey, New York and the nation.