Portal Bridge cutover map

See the geography of the cutover: the Portal Bridge location, affected stations, key transfer hubs, and alternative routes.

Legend
Portal Bridge
Montclair-Boonton
Morris & Essex
Northeast Corridor
North Jersey Coast
Raritan Valley
Transfer hub

About the Portal Bridge

The Portal Bridge spans the Hackensack River in Kearny, NJ, between Newark and Secaucus. It is the single most critical piece of infrastructure on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington, D.C.

The old bridge

  • Built in 1910 — 115 years old
  • Swing bridge design that opens for marine traffic
  • Frequently gets stuck, causing hours of delay
  • Carries every NJ Transit and Amtrak train on the Northeast Corridor

The new bridge

  • Portal North Bridge: $1.5 billion replacement
  • Fixed-span design — never opens, never gets stuck
  • 50 feet higher than the old bridge, allowing boats to pass underneath
  • Part of the larger Gateway Program to modernize the corridor

The cutover

  • Phase 1 (Feb 15 – Mar 15, 2026): First track transferred to new bridge
  • Requires single-track operations between Newark and Secaucus
  • 50% service reduction across all lines
  • Phase 2 (Fall 2026): Second track transferred, old bridge retired