NJ Transit and Amtrak are warning its riders that a month-long construction project involving the Portal Bridge could snarl commutes until mid-March.
According to NJ Transit, the “cutover” project is set to transform the Portal Bridge into the Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River as part of the Gateway Program.
The project will replace the century-old Portal Bridge, built in 1910, over the Hackensack River into a higher bridge that will not have to open for river traffic. This original Portal Bridge has proven to be a headache for many commuters given that is has malfunctioned multiple times in the past, causing major delays.
The “cutover” work includes deactivating the infrastructure associated with the old bridge, reconfiguring and activating new track alignments, adding new signaling, power and communication systems, as well as testing the interlocking and safety systems.
During construction, which will kick off this Sunday and is expected to last until March 14, NJ Transit and Amtrak schedules will be impacted since there will only be one track between Newark and Secaucus, meaning there will be fewer trains going into New York Penn Station on weekdays on various train lines, earlier departure times, and longer travel times.
NJ Transit and Amtrak recommend to limit travel between the rush hour timeframe of 7 to 9 a.m. and between 4 and 7 p.m. weekdays. Both transportation agencies are recommending that if riders can work from home, they should do so.
Because of these schedule changes that will impact many riders, NJ Transit will be, among other things:
Cross-honoring with PATH and New York Waterway Ferry (with enhanced peak hours ferry service to and from Midtown)
Cross-honoring NJ Transit rail tickets and passes on NJ Transit bus services
Providing a FLEXPASS ticket option on sale Sunday (20 trips with a 15% discount)
20 trips with a 15% discount
For more information on the schedule changes and how the project may impact your commute, click here.