Fed Officials, Governor Push for Portal Bridge Funding

SECAUCUS, NJ—Congressional leaders and state officials, including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, have called on the federal government to help fund the replacement of the Portal Bridge.

At a press conference in Secaucus, federal and state officials, as well as representatives from Amtrak, NJ Transit and the Gateway Development Corp. sponsor of the Hudson Gateway Tunnel program, stressed the need for the replacement of the 108-year-old moveable Portal Bridge, which has been estimated to cost $1.8 billion.

“The successful and efficient operation of the Northeast Corridor has profound consequences for our region’s commuters and economy, and no bridge improvement project is more consequential to the flow of goods and services than the Portal North Bridge project,” said Gov. Murphy. “While federal officials have continued to move the goal posts, New Jersey and our partners have held up our end of the bargain, have put more skin in the game, and developed financial, construction, and engineering plans that are second-to-none. New Jersey is ready. The time to build Portal North Bridge is now.”

“Our entire region and one-fifth of the nation’s economy hinges on an oft-malfunctioning, century-old swing bridge that routinely fails and grinds the Northeast Corridor and our transportation network to a halt. It must be replaced; delay and inaction are not an option,” said U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, ranking member of the Senate’s transit subcommittee. “We can get Gateway done faster and cheaper with President Trump on board. The Portal Bridge replacement is a project of national significance, it’s shovel-ready, and the state has done its part. It’s time for the Trump Administration to step up.”

Spanning the Hackensack River, the Portal Bridge all too often serves as a bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor and a historic source of train congestion. Its outdated swing-span design is a cause of disruptions and delays for commuters up and down the Northeast Corridor as mechanical failure frequently causes the bridge to become stuck after it is opened for maritime traffic, state officials note.

The $1.6-billion replacement project would construct a high-level fixed-span structure that would eliminate mechanical malfunctions, increase train speeds and allow NJ TRANSIT to increase seating capacity by more than 10%.

Federal funding for the shovel-ready project requires a medium or higher rating from the United States Department of Transportation. The project had previously earned the necessary rating, but despite a $600-million commitment from the State of New Jersey and extensive commitments from project sponsors and partners, the rating was downgraded by the Trump Administration’s Federal Transit Administration.

New Jersey has completed every administrative step short of the actual issuance of the bonds. Additionally, the State of New Jersey reached out to the FTA to understand options to begin aspects of bridge construction that could be reimbursed by federal resources later, however, this request went unanswered, according to state officials.

“Replacement of the Portal Bridge is already long overdue, and it must move forward without delay. The existing, functionally obsolete bridge is more than a century old and a significant constraint on economic growth for our region. NJT has all permits in place, 100% design, and a robust local funding plan,” said NJ TRANSIT president and CEO Kevin Corbett. “The new bridge will be suitable for the needs of our 90,000 daily interstate customers and increase our capacity in and out of New York by 10% while allowing for faster and more reliable service each day.”

“Amtrak is eager to replace the century-old, moveable Portal Bridge with a higher-clearance fixed span that will provide Northeast Corridor passengers with improved reliability, faster speeds, and more NJ TRANSIT seats,” said Tony Coscia, Amtrak chairman and vice chairman of GDC. “We appreciate the support and commitments of Governor Murphy, the New Jersey Congressional delegation and Legislative leaders and look forward to advancing Portal North Bridge to construction as soon as possible.”