NEW YORK (WABC) — Phase one of repairs on the Portal Bridge is now complete, which means New Jersey Transit schedules will return to normal next week.
Commuters can breathe a sigh of relief and recent delays will hopefully subside as regular NJ Transit service begins on Monday.
“Starting next Monday, commuters and other travelers leaving New York City will no longer be subject to the uncertainty of the opening and closing of a finicky old bridge,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris.
On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and transit officials took a ceremonial ride across the new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River.
“The fact that this was done on time despite the snowstorm of a generation is truly a tribute to the men and women who put in all the work on it,” Sherrill said.
“I also want to thank our riders for the extraordinary patience they exercised over the last four weeks,” said NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri.
It wasn’t just riders that were understanding. So were many of their employers. A commuter named Jeff says the limited schedule would have been a nightmare if he hadn’t gotten to telecommute part-time.
“Half the number of trains, overcrowding, no direct access, because I’m on the Raritan Valley Line and they canceled the direct trains to Westfield,” Jeff said.
Crews have spent the last month moving the first track from the existing Portal Bridge to the new Portal North Bridge.
The $2.3 billion project is higher and eliminates the need for it to open for marine traffic. The project also improves reliability, allowing for higher speeds.
The cutover required reducing weekday NJ Transit service and sending all Midtown Direct trains that would normally go to New York to Hoboken instead.
On Monday, the new track is expected to be open to riders and schedules return to some sense of normalcy — at least for now.
Judy says her ride wasn’t quite as impacted, but she welcomes the return of the normal schedule.
“I want my routine back, and I want to know I have more options to get home and not just two or three,” Judy said.
The Portal North Bridge is a major piece of the aging infrastructure puzzle when it comes to NJ Transit delays.
7 On Your Side Investigates examined the data. One of the most common problems is when the train can’t connect with the overhead catenary wires.
Dan Krauth has more on the transit investigation.
Regional Plan Association Vice President Zoe Baldwin explains that’s exacerbated by the weather.
“In extreme heat, the wires sag. In extreme cold, they get extra taut and a little bit more brittle,” Baldwin said.
Phase two of the work for the other track is expected to take place later this year and will bring about another round of schedule changes.
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