The project in 2024. Photos courtesy of Amtrak
New Jersey Transit riders will face five weeks of service disruptions starting this weekend as work begins on the final component of the Portal Bridge cutover project. From October 11 through November 14, all weekday Midtown Direct service will terminate in Hoboken as crews begin work. This will be the final service disruption caused by the project, which is switching rail operations from the 116-year-old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge. Once the cutover is complete, trains will be able to travel across the new bridge at speeds of up to 90 mph.
An integral part of the Gateway Project, the new bridge is taller and does not need to open for river traffic. The old bridge had to open and close dozens of times a year and would frequently get stuck, requiring workers to hammer its pieces back into place, as 6sqft previously reported.
The old bridge has also been the site of several fires, and even when traffic is moving smoothly, its outdated design requires trains to slow down, according to the New York Times…