Amtrak announced a major rehabilitation of the Dock Bridge over the Passaic River between Newark and Harrison, New Jersey, to boost safety and reliability for more than 200,000 daily riders on Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT, and PATH.

The Dock Bridge project is part of a broader New York/New Jersey infrastructure upgrade wave, including Penn Station Transformation, East River Tunnel rehabilitation, Portal North Bridge, and expanded tracks, signals, and power systems, as part of Amtrak’s modernization efforts.

The Dock Bridge serves as a critical NJ–NY link, with officials noting it directly affects over 90,000 NJ customers who cross daily.

Design-Bid-Build delivery is slated to begin major work by year’s end, with Skanska awarded the contract to perform rehabilitation.

In 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a permit to convert the movable Dock Bridge to a fixed configuration as a first step toward rehabilitation.

Project work includes strengthening and reinforcing steel components and replacing major rail infrastructure such as the overhead catenary system, tracks, and signal systems.

The steel strengthening and major rail upgrades will be complemented by the Coast Guard permit to convert the bridge from movable to fixed.

Work is expected to begin by year’s end and wrap up in 2029, affecting more than 700 daily trains in one of the Northeast Corridor’s busiest sections.

NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kris Kolluri emphasized improved reliability and long-term performance for the Northeast Corridor and thanked stakeholders for helping upgrade this critical link.

U.S. Senator Cory Booker noted that rehabilitating the Dock Bridge will reduce chronic delays, enhance safety and reliability, and bolster the regional economy by saving commuters time.

Opened in 1935, the Dock Bridge is a six-track, triple-span moveable lift bridge carrying four Amtrak/NJ TRANSIT tracks and two PATH tracks, with aging reliability issues.

The bridge’s reliability problems include track and signal misalignment and movable-bridge component malfunctions, underscoring the need for rehabilitation.