Interactive map of the Portal North Bridge Phase 2 cutover (Oct 11 – Nov 15, 2026): Rail geometry from NJ Transit GTFS, the Hackensack River crossing in Kearny, affected stations, transfer hubs, and PATH, ferry, and bus alternatives.
Portal Bridge cutover map
Rail lines follow published NJ Transit shapes, not straight lines between stations. Station names stay in English, as they appear on platform signs.
Legend
Portal North Bridge
Old 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 the new bridge
- Phase 2 (Oct 11 – Nov 15, 2026): Second track transferred; old swing bridge retired after this work
- Single-track operations between Newark Penn and Secaucus during each cutover (about 50% fewer trains through the Portal corridor)
- Weekday Midtown Direct trains diverted to Hoboken (Oct 11 – Nov 15, 2026); weekends still run to Penn Station NY