Railroad Forums 

  • All Things Portal Bridge: Amtrak and NJT Status and Replacement Discussion

  • This forum will be for issues that don't belong specifically to one NYC area transit agency, but several. For instance, intra-MTA proposals or MTA-wide issues, which may involve both Metro-North Railroad (MNRR) and the Long Island Railroad (LIRR). Other intra-agency examples: through running such as the now discontinued MNRR-NJT Meadowlands special. Topics which only concern one operating agency should remain in their respective forums.
This forum will be for issues that don't belong specifically to one NYC area transit agency, but several. For instance, intra-MTA proposals or MTA-wide issues, which may involve both Metro-North Railroad (MNRR) and the Long Island Railroad (LIRR). Other intra-agency examples: through running such as the now discontinued MNRR-NJT Meadowlands special. Topics which only concern one operating agency should remain in their respective forums.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, nomis, FL9AC, Jeff Smith

 #1488775  by R36 Combine Coach
 
Ryand-Smith wrote:Isn't there 1 oil barge that does a run up the river? I thought they were the only customers.
Hess did have barges up the river to Bogota, but the facility might have closed. The new NJ Route 7 bridge (Wittpenn Bridge) being built now will be a lift span, though higher than the current 1930 lift bridge.
 #1489110  by Arlington
 
Could some generous soul update https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_Bridge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; based on recent funding information?
 #1489138  by daybeers
 
Arlington wrote:Could some generous soul update https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_Bridge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; based on recent funding information?
What would you like updated? Also, does anyone have a good picture of the bridge that they're willing to upload to Wikimedia Commons? The current picture used for the Wikipedia article is terrible quality.
 #1489150  by Arlington
 
daybeers wrote:
Arlington wrote:Could some generous soul update https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_Bridge" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; based on recent funding information?
What would you like updated? Also, does anyone have a good picture of the bridge that they're willing to upload to Wikimedia Commons? The current picture used for the Wikipedia article is terrible quality.
Wikipedia says of New Jersey:
It is the policy of the state of New Jersey that all documents originating from web sites of executive departments and non-independent agencies are "available to the public and anyone may view, copy or distribute State information found here without obligation to the State" unless the document specifically states otherwise.[19] Likewise, all records obtain from state, county, or local government entities in New Jersey via the state's Open Public Records Act (OPRA), per a 2009 decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court, may be reproduced including for commercial purposes.[20]

According to the New Jersey Open Data Initiative Act (N.J.S.A 52:18A-234.5[21]), all information listed on state agencies open data web portals, "shall be treated as license free, subject to reuse, and not subject to copyright restrictions". This effectively makes data published under this act in the public domain.
Between US and NJ, seems like that would make it worth uploading the Portal Bridge images
 #1489765  by JamesRR
 
Every time I read a story on Portal Bridge I'm confused. I thought there was a singular project to simply rebuild the existing bridge, outside of Gateway - Portal Bridge North. Then I thought there was a second Portral Bridge project (two more tracks on a separate span) that is a part of Gateway, which includes a 4-track approach to the new tunnels to improve capacity.

And I thought it was the former that had funding to begin work. Which is what this article mentions.
 #1489773  by east point
 
Portal north is a new high level fixed span that is now under consideration and some preliminary work is underway. Portal south also high level fixed on other side (?) of swing bridge is just proposed. Swing bridge is just having major maintenance occurring every week. After Portal north is built different sources say it will be either kept until Portal south is built and in service, until Portal south construction is started since Portal south is going in on same alignment as swing bridge (?), or immediately scrapped once Portal north is in service . Take your best guess ?
 #1489794  by EuroStar
 
Acela150 wrote:Portal Bridge failed today in the heat of the PM Rush Hour. Funding can't come soon enough for a replacement.
The bridge actually failed twice on Tuesday. Once immediately after the morning Rush Hour and once in the afternoon. I wonder whether it was the same boat going up the river and then later down the river.
east point wrote:After Portal north is built different sources say it will be either kept until Portal south is built and in service, until Portal south construction is started since Portal south is going in on same alignment as swing bridge (?), or immediately scrapped once Portal north is in service . Take your best guess ?
The current plans do not envision keeping the existing bridge in operation after the completion of Portal North. This is because there is no point in keeping the existing span given than there is no extra capacity east or west of it justifying 4 tracks over the river. The current plans are to move the steel span off-site, possibly for historical preservation and demolition of the central pier in order to provide a wider navigable channel in the river.

While it is possible that a decision "could" be made to preserve and rehab the existing span as a cost saving measure for the follow up phases of the Gateway Project, such a decision has NOT been made and anything in regards to that is pure railfan speculation.
 #1490056  by gokeefe
 
At this point it looks as though the project is on a "build it now, we'll come up with the money as it goes along". High stakes but also makes it much harder for it to fail. Voters simply won't tolerate it.
 #1491369  by ThirdRail7
 
EuroStar wrote:
Acela150 wrote:Portal Bridge failed today in the heat of the PM Rush Hour. Funding can't come soon enough for a replacement.
The bridge actually failed twice on Tuesday. Once immediately after the morning Rush Hour and once in the afternoon. I wonder whether it was the same boat going up the river and then later down the river.
It was.

How many years would it take to build this new structure?
 #1491698  by EuroStar
 
On November 14th, NJT board had an item to proceed with the purchase of environmental credits for the bridge. For all the complaining about the federal delays, why is NJT doing this only now? It is not that they will close on the purchase for another 6 months due to all the bureaucracy. It is an agency that is obviously not in a hurry to get much done ...
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