On 30 October 2026, Railway Supply reported that the 116-year-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River has been handed over for demolition as the second Portal North Bridge cutover in New Jersey entered its third week. The update, which Amtrak provided on 29 October, follows continuous cutover activity that began on the evening of 9 October and required adjusted NJ TRANSIT schedules from 11 October. Amtrak said the handover clears the way for demolition and for reworking railroad infrastructure around the new Portal North Bridge; the company also provided technical and labour estimates in an earlier Sept. 17 cutover briefing.
The replacement Portal North Bridge is a two-track fixed span rising more than 50 feet over the river and — with approaches — covering nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor. Trains used the first new track from March 2026. Demolition of the existing 1910 swing bridge is included in the $1,559,993,000 construction contract the NJ TRANSIT board approved in October 2021 with the Skanska/Traylor Bros joint venture. Amtrak reported a total project cost of $2.2 billion and an expected completion in 2027. During the cutover period, Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT implemented reduced timetables affecting hundreds of daily trains and placed temporary single-track operations over the new bridge until cutover finalisation and commissioning are complete.
Lead
On 30 October 2026, Railway Supply reported that the 116-year-old Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River has been handed over for demolition as the second Portal North Bridge cutover entered its third week. Amtrak provided an Oct. 29 project update stating the handover clears the way for demolition and for reworking railroad infrastructure around the new Portal North Bridge. Work for the cutover began the evening of Oct. 9, and NJ TRANSIT adjusted schedules from Oct. 11; regular schedules were planned to resume on Nov. 15 with full return to normal service on Nov. 16 subject to safety testing and commissioning. Construction on other parts of the project is planned to continue to mid-December, according to the report.
Project facts
- Project name: Portal North Bridge replacement and related cutover and demolition works
- Location: Hackensack River crossing between Newark and Secaucus, New Jersey, United States
- Owner: Not publicly disclosed
- Timing: Cutover work began evening of Oct. 9, 2026; NJ TRANSIT adjusted schedules from Oct. 11 to Nov. 15/16; project expected completion in 2027; other works to mid-December 2026
- Scope: Demolition of existing 1910 swing bridge; tie-in of a 2.5-mile section of new Track 2; removal of interfering structures and foundations; installation of roughly 4,500 linear feet of new track and similar length of catenary; one new turnout with two switch machines; five new signals; placement of three new bridge sections between Portal North Bridge and Secaucus Station
- Technical parameters: Replacement is a two-track fixed span rising more than 50 feet over the river; with approaches covering nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor; first track entered service in March 2026
- Value: Demolition included in the $1,559,993,000 construction contract approved Oct. 2021; Amtrak states total project cost at $2.2 billion
- Financing: Not publicly disclosed
Participants and responsibilities
- Amtrak: Project update provider and programme partner; the company said the handover enables demolition and infrastructure rework. Amtrak provided cutover technical details and service adjustment figures in a Sept. 17 briefing and Oct. 29 update (source: Amtrak statements reported by Railway Supply).
- NJ TRANSIT: Local partner and timetable adjuster; NJ TRANSIT moved to adjusted schedules from Oct. 11 and the NJ TRANSIT board approved the $1,559,993,000 construction contract in Oct. 2021 (source: Railway Supply reporting of NJ TRANSIT board action).
- Skanska/Traylor Bros joint venture: Construction contractor for the $1,559,993,000 contract approved Oct. 2021; scope includes demolition of the existing Portal Bridge and construction works under that contract (source: Railway Supply).
- Other participants: Not publicly disclosed for roles such as detailed design, civil subcontractors, rolling stock suppliers, systems integrators, operator beyond Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT, or financiers. Where not stated, entries are Not publicly disclosed.
Contractor overview
- Skanska/Traylor Bros joint venture — Role: construction contractor for the Portal Bridge replacement package; Scope: demolition of existing swing bridge and construction works under the contract; Value: $1,559,993,000 (contract approved by NJ TRANSIT board, Oct. 2021); Source confidence: secondary media reporting based on NJ TRANSIT board action as reported by Railway Supply.
- Other contractors/subcontractors — Not publicly disclosed in the cited report.
Commercial context
The report documents active cutover operations and consequential service adjustments that have direct operational and commercial impacts on Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT service between Newark and Secaucus. Amtrak adjusted more than 280 trains for the cutover period (Oct. 10 to Nov. 15), reducing weekday levels for Acela, Northeast Regional and Keystone services on specified segments; NJ TRANSIT weekday frequencies on the Northeast Corridor Line and North Jersey Coast Line were reduced and selected Midtown Direct services were rerouted to Hoboken. The demolition is contractually included in the $1,559,993,000 construction award and Amtrak reported an overall project budget of $2.2 billion with an expected 2027 completion. The work is part of the Gateway Program, which the report identifies as aiming to double rail capacity between Newark and New York. The cited report does not disclose project financing sources beyond the contract award or the project owner entity.
Sources
- https://www.railway.supply/portal-bridge-in-service-since-1910-released-for-demolition-in-new-jersey/ — Railway Supply
Disclosure
This RailZoom Intelligence Brief is an original synthesis based on the cited public source. Details not confirmed by a first-party announcement are identified as reported information. For overseas project development or industry intelligence cooperation, contact RailZoom.
