Portal Bridge

The Portal Bridge is a two-track, moveable swing-span rail bridge over the Hackensack River at mile 5 in New Jersey between the cities of Kearny and Secaucus owned and operated by Amtrak. Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1910, it opened in conjunction with service to the newly constructed Pennsylvania Station in New York City.

Amtrak operates some 103 scheduled trains in both directions over this segment of the Northeast Corridor between Washington, DC and New York and also to Boston. Four of NJ Transit’s rail lines (Northeast Corridor Line, North Jersey Coast Line, Morris and Essex Lines, Montclair-Boonton Line) with 393 trains each weekday in both directions use the Portal Bridge to access New York Penn Station.

Drawbridge schedules (US Coast Guard 33 CFR 117.723) allow for Portal Draw to be exempt for opening weekdays 6am to 10am and 4 pm to 8 pm (during peak commuter travel periods over the bridge). The bridge opens on signal other times. ( [http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/11sep20071500/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2007/julqtr/33cfr117.723.htm 1] )

A study is presently under way to examine options that would enhance capacity and reliability at the crossing, potentially involving replacement of the bridge.

Links

* [http://www.portalbridgenec.com Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project]
* [http://7train.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=23150 Movable Railroad Bridges of New Jersey-photo catalog]
* [http://eorthe.com/02a_e_hack/18_portal.htm Portal Bridge photos and notes]
* [http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/11sep20071500/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2007/julqtr/33cfr117.723.htm U.S. Government Printing Office: DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS-Hackensack River (Code of Federal Regulations 33 CFR 117.723)]