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November 27, 2024|Passenger

First Arch Arrives at Portal North Bridge Construction Site

Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor, Railway Track & Structures
The first arch is towed by three tugboats to the Portal North Bridge construction site in Kearny, N.J. (Amtrak)
The first of three arches was delivered for the Portal North Bridge in New Jersey.

According to the release from NJ Transit, the first arch has arrived at the construction site. These arches will support the new Portal North Bridge that will replace the current 114-year-old swing bridge. The new bridge will eliminate the need to open and close, a process that results in service delays. Three tugboats hauled the arch, weighing 5 million pounds and measuring 400 feet long by 50 feet wide, down the Hudson River. From the Port of Coeymans by Albany, New York to the bridge site in Kearny, the tugboats traveled for 30 hours at an average of 5 knots, or 5.75 miles per hour. RT&S has previously reported on the Portal North Bridge construction, a project that is funded by the USDOT, New Jersey, New York, and Amtrak. It spans 2.44 miles of the NEC, and the project includes constructing retaining walls, concrete piers, structural steel bridge spans, rail systems, and deep foundations. The bridge is a large part of the Gateway Program, “which will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York.” Below is a gallery of images of the arch, courtesy of Amtrak.

“Seeing the first Portal arch arrive at the construction site is a tangible reminder that thousands of commuters’ daily rides are about to get a lot smoother,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Fran O’Connor. “The new Portal North Bridge is just the first of many capital improvements underway to help provide reliable and safe public transportation in New Jersey.”

“The arrival of the first arch at the Portal North Bridge site marks a major milestone in transforming the Northeast Corridor into a more reliable transit route for tens of thousands of daily commuters,” said NJ TransitPresident & CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “Through this project, NJ Transit is proud to demonstrate that, even in the Northeast – where mega-projects have historically faced delays and cost overruns – it is possible to deliver a transformational project on time and within budget.”

“As work continues on Portal North Bridge, having the first of three arches delivered to the project site is the latest of many milestones that we are proud to celebrate,” said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. “This new milestone symbolizes both the great progress taking place on the project and the strong collaboration with our partners at NJ Transit that comes from investments in infrastructure improvements and getting the work done on time, within budget, and safely.”

“The arrival of the first arch for the new Portal North Bridge marks a significant milestone in the progress towards one of the most essential transportation corridors in the Northeast,” said Michael Viggiano, executive vice president of Skanska’s East Coast Civil operations. “It is a step forward in delivering a modernized structure that will greatly impact the hundreds of thousands of daily commuters and New Jersey residents who rely on this passageway, and the Skanska-Traylor JV is proud to be part of it.”

“Complex infrastructure projects of this scale are only successful through strong partnerships capable of overcoming significant challenges. The collaboration between the Skanska-Traylor JV, NJ Transit and Amtrak demonstrates what’s possible when innovation and teamwork align,” said Chris Traylor, co-president of Traylor Bros., Inc.

“The best way to move massive infrastructure is on the water. Serving as the assembly site — and providing delivery by tug and barge — for the Portal North Bridge has been a tremendous source of pride among our crew at Carver Companies, Carver Marine Towing and Port of Coeymans,” said President of Sales and Business Development, Carver Companies Stephen Kelly.  “Since the inception of this project, our teams have worked diligently to ensure that every aspect of this operation is executed with precision and efficiency. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Skanska Traylor JV and delivering exceptional results that will contribute to the growth and enhancement of NJ Transit and Amtrak infrastructure in the Tri-State area.”