Amtrak, NJ Transit advance Sawtooth Bridges replacement project

The Sawtooth Bridges project will replace infrastructure that is nearly 120 years old. It is one of several projects in the larger Gateway Program, which aims to strengthen the Northeast Corridor (NEC) through a series of investments in critical infrastructure, Amtrak officials said in a joint statement with NJ Transit. The bridges, located in Kearny, New Jersey, were originally built in 1907. They connect Newark Penn Station and Secaucus Junction and include an about 1.9-mile segment of right-of-way along the NEC. The bridges carry Amtrak's NEC tracks 2 and 3 over the NJ Transit Morris and Essex lines, the Conrail Center Street Branch and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) Newark-World Trade Center line on staggered viaduct structures. The project calls for construction of three new bridges. The first will realign NJ Transit's Morris and Essex track further north to allow for construction of the second bridge, which will be built adjacent to the existing Sawtooth bridges and will carry two new NEC tracks. The third bridge will then replace the existing structures and will carry the two existing NEC tracks, according to the project website. By replacing the existing bridges and adding two new tracks, the project will increase capacity along the critical corridor, reducing service disruptions and congestion, Amtrak officials said. Additionally, trains will be able to travel at speeds up to 90 mph on the new bridges, an increase from the current 60 mph speed limit.