Tugboat Strike, NJ Train Delays Show Need For New Portal Bridge

A tugboat struck the Portal Bridge on Tuesday afternoon, hampering the commute for NJ Transit and Amtrak train riders crossing between New Jersey and New York, officials said.

NJ Transit said that the collision caused 45-minute delays for trains that traverse the century-old structure, a two-track, swing-type drawbridge that spans the Hackensack River from Secaucus to Kearny.

Amtrak announced delays approaching an hour for trains operating between New York Penn Station and Newark as result of the tugboat crash. “Residual delays are to be expected as service resumes,” Amtrak stated.

NJ Transit and private carrier buses were cross honoring rail tickets/passes system-wide. PATH trains were cross-honoring NJ Transit rail tickets and passes at HOB, NPS and 33rd Street until 3 p.m.

The Portal Bridge, which services both Amtrak and NJ Transit trains, is a well-known bane to commuters in the North Jersey area. For example, in January, all trains from New York Penn Station to New Jersey were temporarily canceled after it got stuck.

• See related article: NJ Transit Suspends Penn Station Trains, Bridge 'Stuck Open'

In March, Governor Phil Murphy said malfunctions at the bridge – and the resulting delays to thousands of New Jersey commuters – were “completely unacceptable.” Even more importantly, they were “avoidable,” he charged.

Murphy reminded commuters the Gateway Program, a massive, proposed public works project that would tackle a notorious bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor, includes a plan to build a new Portal Bridge.

• See related article: Gateway Program Could Fix Portal Bridge Breakdowns, Murphy Says

The Gateway Program includes two major projects:

• Portal North Bridge Project – The Portal North Bridge Project will replace the current, functionally obsolete Portal Bridge – a 106-year-old two-track, railroad swing bridge spanning the Hackensack River between Secaucus and Kearny, New Jersey – with a new, high-level, two-track fixed span. The new bridge will increase rail transit capacity by an estimated 11%, and significantly improve service reliability by replacing the movable span, which interrupts operations and is prone to mechanical failures, and is the current cause of frequent delays.
• Hudson Tunnel Project – This aspect includes the construction of a new two-track Hudson River rail tunnel from New Jersey to Manhattan that will directly serve PSNY; and the rehabilitation of the 106-year old, existing North River Tunnel, which incurred serious damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Frustrated commuters may find some comfort knowing that millions of dollars have already been committed to fixing the longstanding woes at the Portal Bridge.

In June, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved a financing agreement with the NJ Transit Board of Directors, which will provide up to $600 million toward the construction of a new Portal Bridge. The total project cost could come to an estimated $1.5 billion, with funding also coming from the Port Authority of NY/NJ and the federal government, NJ Spotlight reported.

• See related article: Portal Bridge, Bane Of NJ Train Commuters, Gets $600M In Funding

According to NJ Transit, the project will replace the existing two-track Portal Bridge, which was built in 1910, and replace it with a new, two-track fixed structure about 2.33 miles long. The new structure will have a clearance that accommodates current and forecasted maritime traffic, which will eliminate the need for a moveable span that interrupts rail operations and results in delays due to mechanical failures.

When built, the new Portal North Bridge will allow for a 10 percent increase in peak hour passenger capacity, NJ Transit stated.

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Photo: NJ Transit