Five weeks of disruptions ahead as NJ Transit shifts trains off aging Portal Bridge
Work to finish the Portal North Bridge has begun and is expected to last the next five weeks.
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So it begins ... again for NJ Transit riders.
NJ Transit riders are once again adjusting their commutes as the second and final phase of work on the new Portal North Bridge gets underway.
Crews are transferring the final track, along with electrical systems and overhead wires, as part of the cutover to the new bridge over the Hackensack River.
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For the next five weeks, riders traveling into Manhattan will need to use alternate options, including PATH trains, ferries and buses, similar to the service changes during the first phase of work earlier this year.
Some commuters say the disruptions are already causing headaches. "This morning my 5:33 train was cancelled, so I had to take the 6:10 and I'm like an hour late for work," said Bloomfield commuter Marcia Hilton.
Others say they're preparing for the adjustment. "Sometimes we do the ferry, sometimes we do the PATH, but it depends on what time we get in," said Dorrette Wiggins of Bloomfield.
Even riders who stay in New Jersey say they're feeling the impact. "Because at the end of the day, your supervisor doesn't want to hear about your train troubles," said Orange resident Matthew Fudge.
The project will replace the 116-year-old Portal swing bridge, a longtime source of delays along the Northeast Corridor. NJ Transit expects full service to resume by Nov. 15.
