Portal Bridge work could disrupt NJ Transit, Amtrak commutes

"The temporary chaos begins as Amtrak performs what engineers call a "cutover," transferring tracks and electrical systems onto the new fixed-span bridge over the Hackensack River. The old swing bridge, which is more than a century old, has long been a commuter villain, infamous for getting stuck after opening for maritime traffic. At times, workers have even resorted to sledgehammers to force its locking mechanism back into place, which ultimately causes ripple effects across the entire Northeast Corridor."

"Here's the catch: during the transition period, trains will run on a single track between Newark and Secaucus, severely limiting capacity into Penn Station during weekday rush hours. NJ Transit riders on the Morristown Line, Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Line will temporarily lose Midtown Direct service to Manhattan on weekdays, with trains instead terminating in Hoboken. From there, riders will be cross-honored on PATH, NY Waterway ferries and the 126 bus to reach Midtown-which means Hoboken Terminal is about to get very crowded."

Crews will perform a cutover to transfer tracks and electrical systems onto the new fixed-span Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River, replacing a more-than-century-old swing bridge that frequently jammed and disrupted Northeast Corridor service. During the cutover, trains will operate on a single track between Newark and Secaucus, sharply limiting weekday capacity into Penn Station. Several NJ Transit lines will lose Midtown Direct weekday service and will instead terminate at Hoboken, where riders will use PATH, NY Waterway ferries and the 126 bus. Amtrak will alter nearly 300 train schedules, including reductions to Acela, Northeast Regional and Keystone services. The disruption will last roughly a month through mid-March.

Read at Time Out New York