AMTK - Portal Bridge

Photos 

Portal Bridge

Photo taken by Adam Elmquist

View this photo at panoramio.com

BH Photo #257886

Map 

Street View 

Description 

See also http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20170522/REAL_ESTATE/17...

Used by 200,000 passengers per day, according to Newark Star-Ledger. Clearance below deck: 23 feet.

Facts 

Overview

Through truss swing bridge over Hackensack River on Northeast Corridor (Amtrak)

Location

Secaucus, Hudson County, New Jersey

Status

Open to traffic; owned by Amtrak, which also receives lease payments from New Jersey Transit

Future prospects

Targeted for replacement by Amtrak with fixed high level spans pending capital funding approval--see http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20170522/REAL_ESTATE/17...

History

Built 1905-1910

Builders

- Drake & Stratton Co. of New York City, New York & Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Substructure)
- Pennsylvania Steel Co. of Steelton, Pennsylvania (Superstructure)

Railroads

- Amtrak (AMTK)
- Commuter Rail
- New Jersey Transit (NJTR)
- Northeast Corridor (NEC)
- Penn Central Railroad (PC)
- Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)

Design

Main span: Swing through truss. Six open-deck girder approach spans.

Dimensions

Length of largest span: 300.0 ft.
Total length: 961.0 ft.

Approximate latitude, longitude

+40.75350, -74.09508   (decimal degrees)
40°45'13" N, 74°05'42" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

18/576388/4511787 (zone/easting/northing)

Quadrangle map:

Weehawken

Inventory number

BH 43963 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Update Log 

• August 6, 2019: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
• November 1, 2018: Updated by Andy Peters: adds detail on ownership and leaseholder; number of passengers per day; clearance below deck
• July 19, 2018: Updated by Luke: Added builders
• July 19, 2018: Updated by Andy Peters: adds Pennsylvania Railroad to name of builder; adds New Jersey Transit and commuter rail to categories; adds photos; adds link to Amtrak replacement project page; adds Kearny, N.J., to locations
• June 6, 2017: Updated by Alexander D. Mitchell IV: Updated replacement plans
• December 1, 2015: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
• January 26, 2015: New photo from Andy Peters
• July 1, 2013: Photo imported by Dave King
• January 30, 2010: Added by James Baughn

Related Bridges 

• NJTR - Lower Hack Lift Bridge (Downstream)

Sources 

• Wikipedia
• Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project
• Geoff Hubbs
• Dave King - DKinghawkfan [at] hotmail [dot] com
• Douglas Butler
• Andy Peters - anpete1971 [at] gmail [dot] com
• Alexander D. Mitchell IV
• Amtrak - Portal Bridge Replacement Project
• Luke
• History of the engineering, construction and equipment of the Pennsylvania railroad company's New York terminal and approaches - Book
• Understanding the Portal Bridge, the busiest rail span in America and N.J.'s transit Achilles' Heel - Newark Star-Ledger article, Nov. 1, 2018

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