Environmental Impact Statement
The FRA and New Jersey Transit (NJT) are jointly preparing an EIS, in cooperation with Amtrak, US Coast Guard, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Transit Administration, to study improvements to enhance capacity and operation of the Amtrak-owned Portal Bridge that spans the Hackensack River. Originally constructed in 1910, the bridge is nearing the end of its projected lifespan.
The Portal bridge plays a critical role in the successful operation of the Northeast Corridor. The two-track bridge currently handles 393 NJT and 51 Amtrak trains each weekday. Among the Portal Bridge options under consideration: retaining the existing structure and building a new bridge with two or three additional tracks; modifying the existing bridge to improve its safety and possibly adding a second bridge as well; and removing the Portal Bridge altogether and replacing it. The EIS will evaluate the potential effects of each alternative on the surrounding social, economic and physical environment, with a focus on ecology, historic value, aesthetics, as well as transportation and air quality.
The scoping period ran through January 31, 2007. The Draft EIS was released and the comment period extended until March 31, 2008.
The Draft EIS
and other information is available on the Portal Bridge EIS Website
.
Documents available on this site: