NEW YORK (PIX11) -- A 114-year-old bridge in New Jersey that causes delays along a busy rail corridor is being replaced.
Riders have been watching the new structure rise along the tracks. The Portal Bridge is well known along the rail corridor between New York and New Jersey.
NJ Transit and Amtrak say the new Portal Bridge is 50% complete and that the project is on time and on budget. It is set to open by 2026.
NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett wants to end the perception of cost overruns and delays.
"This is a shot in the arm for all the corridor. We prove we can do things on time and on budget," Corbett said.
The swing bridge opens to allow boats through the section of the Hackensack River. The process can take 40 minutes, and sometimes, the bridge gets stuck.
The project is being funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation, New Jersey, New York, and Amtrak.
"It has been long in the works. It’s a new time of cooperation. Everyone is focused on investing in these assets," said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner.
It’s part of the larger gateway project, which is also constructing new tracks and a tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New York and New Jersey.
"We are about to start construction in the [Hudson] River in July. It's full speed ahead. We want to make sure the projects get done and riders get the relief they’re seeking," said Gateway Development Commission CEO Kris Kolluri.
Work has also begun on both sides of the Hudson River to create a new tube for the two rail tracks between the states. That is set to open by 2035.
The federal government is paying for half of the total cost of Gateway, with the states of New York and New Jersey covering the other half.
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