Sawtooth Bridges | |
|---|---|
.png) Looking west towards Newark | |
| Coordinates | 40°44′38″N74°7′30″W / 40.74389°N 74.12500°W /40.74389; -74.12500 |
| Carries | Northeast Corridor |
| Crosses | NJ Transit, PATH, Conrail |
| Locale | New Jersey Meadowlands Kearny, New Jersey |
| Other name(s) | Amtrak Bridge No. 7.80 Amtrak Bridge No. 7.96 |
| Owner | Amtrak |
| Heritage status | PRR |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Viaduct |
| Total length | 961 ft (293 m) |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. oftracks | 4 (2 on each bridge)[1] |
| History | |
| Construction start | 1907 |
| Inaugurated | 1910 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 400+ Amtrak and NJ Transit trains[2] |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Sawtooth Bridges | |
| References | |
| [1] | |
TheSawtooth Bridges are a pair of railroad bridges on theNortheast Corridor (NEC) known individually asAmtrak Bridge No. 7.80 andAmtrak Bridge No. 7.96. They are located in theMeadowlands inKearny, New Jersey, betweenNewark Penn Station andSecaucus Junction at a stretch where therights-of-way ofAmtrak,NJ Transit,PATH, andConrail converge and re-align. The name refers to their appearance and the numbers refer to the milepoint (MP) fromNew York Penn Station. Originally built by thePennsylvania Railroad, they are now owned and operated by Amtrak. They are slated for replacement as part of theGateway Program, an infrastructure-improvement program along the NEC.
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Theviaducts were built in 1907 by thePennsylvania Railroad as part of itsNew York Tunnel Extension project, which included thePortal Bridge and theNorth River Tunnels. The bridges are east of the formerManhattan Transfer station.
At this stretch of the Northeast Corridor, the rights-of-way of Amtrak, NJ Transit, PATH, and Conrail converge, run parallel, and re-align. Amtrak Bridge No. 7.80 carries two NEC tracks over fourNJ Transit commuter rail tracks used by theMontclair-Boonton Line, theMorristown Line and theGladstone Branch. Amtrak Bridge No. 7.96 carries the two NEC tracks over one track ofPATH'sNewark–World Trade Center line and the single trackConrail (CRCX)Center Street Branch freight rail line.[3] There is no junction with PATH.[1]
East of the bridges at theKearny Connection/"Swift Interlocking" (MP 7.2) it is possible for NJ TransitMidtown Direct trains on theMorris and Essex Lines andMontclair-Boonton Line to enter (via Track 6) and leave theNortheast Corridor.[4] "Hudson Interlocking" (MP8.3) and the single track limited-use NJ Transit "Red Bridge", part of theWaterfront Connection, allows trains access to the NEC when travelling to or fromNewark Penn in the west. It is generally used by NJ Transit'sNorth Jersey Coast Line orRaritan Valley Line trains access toHoboken Terminal on theHudson Waterfront.[5]
The Sawtooth Bridges, considered a part of major bottleneck in the busiest section of the Northeast Corridor, are slated for replacement as part of theGateway Program, an infrastructure improvement program along 10 miles of the rail line between Newark and New York.[6][7] The plans call for expansion of the right-of-way to four tracks and would also include the construction of new bridges in theKearny Meadows overNewark Turnpike andBelleville Turnpike.[8] Initial stages of replacement of the nearbyPortal Bridge over theHackensack River began in 2019.
In March 2020, theFederal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued an environmental assessment.[9] Construction would involve the building of a new bridge (Sawtooth Bridge North), where service would be transferred during the demolition of existing Sawtooth Bridge south and building of its replacement. The project will also build a new viaduct for NJ Transit Track 5.[10] As of 2020, the projected year for completion was 2029.[11] As of January 2025, the estimated construction completion is in 2032.[12]
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