Biggest Infrastructure Project in the Nation
112-Year-Old Train Bridge to be Replaced 

Editor: Allison Braswell

Since the construction of Portal Bridge in 1910, it has become the busiest rail line in the entire Western Hemisphere. This swing-style rail bridge that spans the Hackensack River from Kearney to Secaucus, NJ has been working on her last legs. One out of seven times the bridge opens, it fails to close properly. Operational issues like this have been the culprit of major train delays and heavy boat traffic for years--sometimes causing trains to be backed up all the way to Boston. With over 450 trains passing over the bridge every day, NJ Transit decided to act and put an end to the commuting nightmares. 

As of Summer 2022, replacement of the aging Portal Bridge has commenced. The Skanska/Traylor Bros PNB Joint Venture (STJV) was given the $1.56 billion (about $5 per person in the USA) contract to replace the Portal Bridge with a new two-track, high-level, fixed-span bridge--representing the single largest construction award in NJ Transit history. The new Portal North Bridge will allow river traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic. 

STJV wanted the most reliable tools to use for the country's most important infrastructure project. They purchased two ICE® I-62 Diesel Impact Hammers and rented a variety of Vibratory Driver/Extractors including the ICE® 66C, ICE® 50B, and ICE® 22D to handle the work on this project. So far, the contractors have pre-driven 24" (inch) pipe pile for the foundation by combining the power of their vibratory hammers, and then securing the pile with their diesel hammers. 

Congratulations to STJV on their investment in several ICE® deep foundation products. We look forward to servicing your tools as you continue to build a safer rail system for NJ! 

Learn more about the ICE® I-62V2 and our variety of ICE® vibratory drivers and extractors.  

Media Contact-    
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA    
Director Marketing, Brand and Media Relations    
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc    
Office - 704-821-8200    
Email - marketing@iceusa.com