• The North River Tunnel under the Hudson River connects New York and New Jersey and carries Amtrak & NJ TRANSIT passengers making 200,000 daily trips.
  • Damaged concrete on the benchwall of the North River Tunnel

  • Damaged concrete on the benchwall of the North River Tunnel
  • Cracking concrete along the benchwall and a view of the ballasted track in the North River Tunnel
  • The western portal of the North River Tunnel in North Bergen, NJ
  • Construction on the first two sections of the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing was completed in 2017.

  • Construction on the first two sections of the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing was completed in 2017.

  • Construction on the first two sections of the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing was completed in 2017.

  • Construction on the first two sections of the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing was completed in 2017.

  • A view inside the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing. Construction on the first two sections was completed in 2017.


  • A view inside the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing. Construction on the first two sections was completed in 2017.
  • Amtrak personnel perform maintenance on the century-old Portal Bridge
  • A rendering of the future Portal North Bridge which will be much higher off the river, allowing boats to pass without having to open & close.

  • A rendering of the future Portal North Bridge which will be much higher off the river, allowing boats to pass without having to open & close.
  • The mitre rails on Portal Bridge disconnect the swing span from the Northeast Corridor. In the photo they are lifted up for an opening.
  • Portal Bridge carries 450 Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT trains per day and is one of the busiest rail crossings in the world. Just 23-feet off the river, it rotates open for marine traffic to pass.

  • The mitre rails on Portal Bridge disconnect the swing span from the Northeast Corridor. In the photo they are lifted up for an opening.
  • Portal Bridge swings open to allow marine traffic to traverse the Hackensack River.
  • Portal Bridge approach span during an opening
  • A tugboat passes through the open Portal Bridge.
  • Exposed rebar is seen in the bench wall of the North River Tunnel. Salts & chemicals left behind following Super Storm Sandy have accelerated concrete deterioration in the tunnel.

  • Exposed rebar is seen in the bench wall of the North River Tunnel. Salts & chemicals left behind following Super Storm Sandy have accelerated concrete deterioration in the tunnel.
  • Crews built a 500+ foot section of retaining wall as part of early construction activities on Portal North Bridge. A collaborative effort between NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak, the early work contract was completed on-time and on-budget.
  • As part of the early construction work on Portal North Bridge, crews constructed two 200-foot monopoles to re-route high-voltage transmission lines out of the alignment of the new bridge.
  • Part of the early construction work on Portal North Bridge involved hardening a service road driveway that crosses over an old water main that supplies water to 60% of Jersey City.

  • Water intrusion in the North River Tunnel continues to wreak havoc on various systems leading to delays and decreased reliability.
  • A section of high-voltage cable damaged during a failure. When these 12,000 volt cables fail, they explode, which is why they are protected inside the concrete bench walls.
  • A view of Portal Bridge with New York City in the background
  • Petra Messick, Amtrak’s Director of Planning for the Gateway Program, speaks at Open House New York’s Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour in July 2019.
  • Petra Messick of Amtrak speaks to attendees of Open House New York’s Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour in July 2019.
  • Lower Manhattan as seen from Open House New York’s Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour.
  • Attendees of Open House New York’s Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour in July 2019.
  • A view of Hudson Yards from Open House New York’s Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour. The Hudson Tunnel Project’s new tunnel will make use of the new concrete casing underneath Hudson Yards.
  • Hoboken Terminal, seen here from Open House New York’s Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour, is served by NJ TRANSIT, PATH, and NY Waterway.
  • Amtrak’s Petra Messick (center) with other speakers at Open House New York’s July 2019 Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour.
  • Amtrak’s Petra Messick discusses the Gateway Program at Open House New York’s Bridges and Tunnels Boat Tour in July 2019.