The first full commuting day is winding down during the Portal Bridge cutover project.

Amtrak crews are working to transfer rail service from the old Portal Bridge to the new one. Work began on Feb. 15 and is expected to last a month. The project comes with multiple changes to New Jersey Transit’s schedule.

NJ Transit president and CEO Kris Kolluri greeted riders during the Tuesday morning commute to listen to their concerns.

“We’re not doing this for fun. We’re doing this because there is a brand-new bridge that’s going to open in the middle of March,” Kolluri said.

Kolluri says that he expects frustration over the next few days as riders adjust their schedules. He says once the bridge is operational, he hopes the congestion and other issues won’t be a problem.

While the project is underway, riders will be forced to get off their trains in Hoboken. The three options for getting through Hoboken and to Manhattan are by bus, ferry or PATH.

“We keep people moving. We have a lot of signs…and a lot of ambassadors to assist customers, direct them to the ferry, the PATH and Bus 126 service to New York,” says Franck Beaumin, a customer advocate for NJ Transit.

Beaumin says riders should try to avoid the rush as much as possible or travel a little after it.