New Jersey's 107-year-old Portal Bridge has been a symbol of the region's crumbling rail infrastructure. A $1.7 billion project to replace the bridge, launched this week, is designed to improve the situation.
"Officials broke ground Friday on the first piece of a complex and costly project to rebuild and replace the aging rail infrastructure that carries thousands of New Jersey commuters daily into New York," reports Curtis Tate.
The Portal Bridge Project will spend $1.5 billion to add "critical residency and create new capacity" on a ten-mile stretch of the Northeast Corridor between Newark and Penn Station, according to the article.
The Portal Bridge, a 107-year-old span in the Meadowland, "sometimes gets stuck when it opens a few times a week for barges on the Hackensack River" and has "become a major bottleneck on the nation's busiest commuter corridor," according to Tate. Planetizen has been covering the saga of the Portal Bridge since 2014.
FULL STORY: $1.5B project to replace critical New Jersey rail bridge over Hackensack River starts
Funding Approved for Key Rail Connection Between New Jersey and New York
The Portal Bridge is a key component of the larger Gateway Program that includes tunnels under the Hudson River. Fixing the Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River will provide tremendous relief to NJ Transit and Amtrak commuters.
Amtrak's Achilles Heel, Infrastructurally Speaking
Aging, obsolete, and deteriorating bridges affect both road and rail. The 104-year-old Portal Bridge, a swing bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey that frequently fails to close properly, tops Amtrak's list for replacement.
60 Minutes Examines America's Failing Infrastructure
Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes reviews road, rail, bridges, and ports to see how much investment is needed to improve the country's infrastructure, beginning in Pittsburgh and ending at a key Amtrak rail bridge in New Jersey.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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