Kaplan Kirsch is advising NJ Transit on the Portal North Bridge Project. The project will replace a nearly century-old railroad swing bridge over the Hackensack River between Secaucus and Kearny, New Jersey. A new, high-level, two-track, fixed-span structure will take its place. The project includes 2.44 miles of new railroad infrastructure. It also creates a new alignment on a portion of the Northeast Corridor owned by Amtrak.
The proposed new bridge will increase rail transit capacity, reliability, and service dependability. It will also improve operational flexibility, enhance passenger safety, and minimize conflicts with maritime traffic.
For the Portal North Bridge Project, Kaplan Kirsch advises NJ Transit on regulatory and grant compliance matters. The Firm also advises on the financial plan for a Core Capacity Grant application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Its scope includes funding issues involving the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), FTA, Amtrak, and state bonds. The Firm advises on the allocation of operating and maintenance obligations between NJ Transit and Amtrak. Its work also covers construction and force account matters, hazardous waste management, right-of-way acquisition, and property disposition. Additional work includes insurance and risk allocation, as well as interagency and program implementation matters.