The New Jersey Transit Board of Directors has signed off on a $1.8 billion plan to replace a 110-year-old movable bridge over the Hackensack River. The board voted to authorize executing a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to build a new Portal North Bridge.
The FTA will provide $766.5 million, while the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will provide $57.1 million. New Jersey will allocate $881 million for the project, while Amtrak is chipping in $261.5 million.
NJ Transit will primarily own the bridge, while Amtrak will maintain it. The new bridge is part of the Gateway Program, a plan to improve the Northeast Corridor between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station.
Meanwhile, the state of New Jersey is allocating $190 million to refurbish Newark Penn Station.
The first phase of the project will kick off a $30 million “focus on aesthetics,” including restoration of the station’s waiting room benches and a “deep clean” of the station’s exterior. The remaining $160 million will be spent over five years, according to the article.
Source: The Center Square
