New Jersey Transit To Hold Public Info Session On North Jersey Coast Line Bridge Replacement

Perth Amboy, NJ- New Jersey Transit and the Federal Transit Administration will hold a public information session to discuss a major repair project along the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL). New Jersey Transit commuters can breath easy, though: service disruption is expected to be minimal during the construction of a new Raritan River bridge.

Two information sessions will be held this month: one in Perth Amboy on Sept. 20, and one in South Amboy on Sept. 27 (full information can be found at the bottom of this article).

The Raritan River Drawbridge, running between Perth Amboy and South Amboy, crosses the distance where the Raritan River meets the Atlantic and was badly damaged in 2012. Superstorm Sandy shifted the track and wore away piers, similar to other railroad damage the superstorm caused.

The new bridge will be specifically designed to withstand the winds and surges associated with hurricanes and other large storms. It will be built directly adjacent to the existing bridge to keep service running as smoothly as possible for commuters. Construction should begin sometime in 2019.

The New Jersey Coast Line runs from Penn Station New York to Bayhead, with service frequently terminating in Long Branch. The Raritan River Drawbridge is a major link for more than half the stops on the line. Although the NJCL runs concurrent to the Northeast Corridor line for seven stops, the bridge work is after the two lines split.

A federal grant of nearly $450 million, awarded through the Emergency Relief Program for resiliency projects related to Sandy, will be used to rebuild this section of the NJCL.

Patch has reached out to New Jersey Transit officials for more information.

Perth Amboy, NJ: Alexander F. Jankowski Community Center
1 Olive Street
Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

South Amboy, NJ: City of South Amboy, City Hall
South Amboy Council Chambers
140 North Broadway
South Amboy, NJ 08879
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Image courtesy of New Jersey Transit.