The 100-year-old Portal Bridge that crosses the Hackensack River between Kearny and Seacaucus, N.J. will receive $38.5 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the final design of a new bridge, announced United States Senators Frank R. Lautenberg, Robert Mendez and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The replacement of the two-track bridge will help to lessen the amount of delays to the Northeast Corridor passenger service, increase capacity and reliability. Approximately 420 passenger trains use the current bridge each weekday.
“The Portal Bridge is a major chokepoint for thousands of commuters every day and an obstacle in the way of our efforts to improve regional rail transportation,” said Lautenberg in a statement.