Amtrak will begin a major rehabilitation of the nearly century-old Dock Bridge in New Jersey after awarding construction and project management contracts for the work.
The project is intended to improve safety and reliability for more than 200,000 daily Amtrak, NJ Transit and PATH passengers traveling aboard more than 700 trains through one of the busiest sections of the Northeast Corridor.
Opened in 1935, Dock Bridge is a six-track, three-span movable lift bridge crossing the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison. Amtrak and NJ Transit typically use four tracks, while PATH uses the remaining two.
The bridge has experienced reliability problems because of its age and deteriorating condition. Delays can occur after bridge openings when tracks, signals and other rail systems fail to align properly. Failures involving sensors and other movable bridge components also have caused service disruptions.
The U.S. Coast Guard issued a permit in late 2024 authorizing the conversion of Dock Bridge from a movable bridge to a fixed structure.
The rehabilitation will strengthen and reinforce the bridge’s steel components and replace major rail infrastructure, including portions of the overhead catenary, track and signal systems.
Skanska received the design-bid-build construction contract and will perform the rehabilitation work. LiRo-Hill received the project management contract and will provide oversight and construction support alongside Amtrak’s Capital Delivery Department.
The approximately $242 million project is primarily funded through a $188 million Federal Railroad Administration grant. NJ Transit, PATH and Amtrak will fund the remainder.
Amtrak and its partners are also advancing several other major projects in the New York and New Jersey region, including the transformation of New York Penn Station, the rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel, and the construction of the Portal North Bridge.
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