Portal North Bridge Receives Approval To Move Forward

Press Release

Today, the Department of Transportation announced that the new Portal North Bridge will be eligible for grant funding in the FY2021 budget after years of being stalled.

The existing Portal North Bridge is 110 years old, badly in need of repair, and a major source of delays for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak trains running between New Jersey and New York. Trains crossing the bridge must slow down due to its weak structural integrity, and when it opens to allow boats to pass it sometimes fails to close, disrupting rail traffic up and down the northeast corridor.

"Since coming to Congress, I have had no higher priority than delivering the Portal North Bridge for my constituents," said Representative Malinowski. "Relentless pressure from Congress has produced a major win for New Jersey commuters and I look forward to seeing work started soon."

The House Democratic majority ensured that sufficient funding was included in the FY 2019 and 2020 appropriations bills to cover the first stage of the Portal North project. The first bill Representative Malinowski introduced, the Transportation Funding Fairness Act, allows New Jersey to count federal loans as part of its share of jointly funded transportation projects, and was also included in the FY2019 and 2020 appropriations bills. Representative Malinowski has participated in strenuous oversight of the FTA, and repeatedly pressed Department of Transportation officials to move forward with Portal North in hearings and phone calls with senior Department officials.

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