The swing bridge on the Northeast Corridor between Kearny and Secaucus has served passenger rail traffic over the Hackensack River for a century.  Now the Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement project plans to replace the structure with two bridges designed to better accommodate NJ Transit, Amtrak, and maritime traffic.

 

Two acres of Laurel Hill Park, Secaucus, will be taken for the project.  Because this acreage is on the state Green Acres roster, compensation in the form of money, land, or a combination must be made. Given the County's open space deficit and the challenge of crossing a river with the Greenway, the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) and the Embankment Preservation Coalition support mitigation that includes acreage and bridge accommodation.

 

At Wednesday's hearing, the ECGA will request that mitigation be two miles of greenway corridor, 20 feet wide, connecting Kearny to Secaucus and extending into the west side of Jersey City.

The Coalition supports the ECGA request, and urges supporters to attend the hearing and make your voice heard for this bike/ped path. For more information, see the Embankment web site.