NJ’s decrepit rail bridge gets $91.5 million for replacement

New Jersey Transit and Amtrak have been awarded $91.5 million toward replacement of a century-old rail bridge whose malfunctions can tie up passenger rail in the U.S. Northeast, Governor Phil Murphy said.

The Portal Bridge, over the Hackensack River between Kearny and Secaucus, sometimes must be whacked into place with sledgehammers after it swings open and fails to lock back in place. A new span, higher and fixed in position, will cost about $1.5 billion. Though its design and some preliminary work are finished, it lacks full funding.

The Federal Railroad Administration awarded the two agencies funding, a “huge win for our state, our commuters, the future of our economy and our nation,” Murphy said on Twitter.

New Jersey Transit, which operates commuter rail to New York City, shares tracks with Amtrak, the national railroad.