Work on Portal North Bridge will mean 5 weeks of schedule changes for rail commuters
New Jersey Transit has announced that schedule changes will begin Oct. 11 and last for five weeks to accommodate work to bring the all-new Portal North Bridge online. Track 1 has been installed on the new bridge. It is now time for Track 2
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An alert for New Jersey Transit rail commuters. Schedule changes will take effect starting on Oct. 11 and last for five weeks to accommodate the work needed to get the all-new Portal North Bridge online.
The Portal North Bridge is that vital link for rail commuters that spans the Hackensack River, allowing trains to enter and exit New York City. The new rail bridge will replace the current 116-year-old swing bridge.
Track 1 has been installed on the new bridge. It is now time for Track 2. Fifty laborers will work seven days a week to install 2 and 1/2 miles of track and 4,500 feet of catenary wire. But that will mean some sacrifice on the part of riders getting to and from work, a fact Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of New Jersey Transit, is well aware of.
“If you give us five weeks of inconvenience, you won’t have to worry about this bridge for the next 100 years," said Kolluri.
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Construction starts in the evening on Friday, Oct. 9. Then riders will start to feel the schedule changes on Oct. 11.
System-wide, NJ Transit is cutting back service by 10%. For instance, on weekdays the Northeast Corridor Line will see trains dropped from 133 to 113. The Morristown Line will be reduced from 148 to 139.
Weekday Midtown Direct riders who use the Morristown, Gladstone and Montclair-Boonton Lines will be diverted to Hoboken. There, riders can transfer onto the PATH, ferry or bus to get into New York City.
The work will also have a slight impact on Amtrak.
“We selected the plan we believe is fastest and has the least customer impact," said Byl Herrmann, interim president for Amtrak.
For years, the current swing bridge has delayed trains when it needed to open for boats. It’s also been stuck open, creating delays. That won’t be an issue with the new, taller bridge, which will increase the reliability of train service for commuters.
New Jersey Transit says the goal is to have the work finished by Nov. 15. They want it done before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Once the new bridge is online, the old bridge will be demolished in January of 2027.
