ASHE NORTH-CENTRAL NJ PRESENTS:
Tour of The Portal Bridge Construction Project &
Dinner Meeting with Presentation by
AJ Nayee, Amtrak Project Director for Portal North Bridge Project &
Tim Snow, PE, AECOM Senior Resident Engineer for Portal North Bridge Project
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
After multiple delays, construction on the new bridge began on August 1, 2022. On May 13, 2024, Amtrak and NJ Transit announced that the progress of construction has reached the halfway milestone towards completion. Amtrak announced that the project was not only on time but possibly may be completed a year earlier than expected and under the expected budgeted cost of $1.5 billion. The first of the Portal North Bridge's three arches was floated into place in November 2024 and the last arch was floated into place in February 2025. The project will replace the original structure built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and entered revenue service in November 1910.
The current bridge carries over 500 daily Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT trains and 160,000 daily passengers over the Hackensack River – a critical link in the congested territory between Newark, New Jersey and Penn Station, New York.
The new Portal Bridge rises 50-feet over the river and, including the approaches, span nearly 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor. Portal North Bridge is an important element of the broader Gateway Program that will eventually double rail capacity between Newark and New York.
Our June 2024 field trip viewed the construction progressed to date. Our June 2025 field trip will provide an opportunity to view the latest construction status, including an opportunity to walk on the new tied arch spans.
All individuals must bring their own PPE (Hard hat, Orange vest, Safety boots, and Eye protection). A job briefing will be held promptly starting at 2:30 PM. Individuals not having the correct PPE will not be able to attend the tour and will be required to immediately leave the jobsite.
Upon completion of registration all individuals will receive a confirmation email. This email will contain the directions to the tour meeting location and an indemification form that must be completed and brought to the tour meeting location.
The site tour is capped at 50 people due to site constraints.
You must register for this event. No walk-ins permitted.
Event Timeline
Job briefing - 2:30 PM
Site Tour - 2:30 to 4:30 PM
Cocktail & Networking at Don Pepe Restaurant, 844 McCarter Highway, Newark, NJ 07102 - 5:00 to 6:00 PM
Dinner and Presentation - 6:00 to 8:30 PM (approximate)
Two (2) PDHs are anticipated
