Project Tracker

Portal North Bridge Project

The $2.3 billion initiative aims to replace the aging Portal Bridge, a frequent cause of delays on the Northeast Corridor. There has been allegations of deficient design issues of the new bridge, developed by Gannett Fleming, HNTB Corp., and Jacobs Engineering.

Gannett Fleming has a history of collaboration with NJ Transit on several significant projects aimed at improving the state's transportation infrastructure. This includes projects related to the expansion, modernization, and maintenance of NJ Transit's rail and bus networks. However, its involvement in the Portal North Bridge project has been marred by allegations of design deficiencies, highlighting the complexities and challenges involved in ensuring the safety and reliability of critical infrastructure projects.

Specifically, the former NJ Transit engineer in charge, Mohammed Nasim, filed a lawsuit against NJ Transit and the engineering consortium, alleging that the agency ignored concerns about design defects and safety hazards in the new bridge. Despite construction commencement in August 2022, Nasim claims that excessive track settlements prompted Amtrak to halt work multiple times, leading to safety concerns and wastage of resources. The lawsuit suggests that the concerns raised by Nasim about the design flaws were ignored by both NJ Transit and the engineering firms involved, leading to his termination and subsequent legal action.

The Portal Bridge is owned by Amtrak and is the single largest project NJ Transit has overseen. It is part of the first phase of the Gateway program, a collection of high-profile projects that include building a new two-track rail tunnel under the Hudson River and rehabilitating the old two-track tunnel, which sustained serious damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The bridge crosses the Hackensack River between Kearny and Secaucus.