NEW YORK, NY – STV, a leader in engineering, architectural, and program and construction management services, celebrated a critical funding agreement recently reached for the first phase of Amtrak’s historic Gateway Program.

The program, dedicated to advancing and upgrading passenger and freight rail access in New York and New Jersey, includes funding for the $1.56 billion replacement of the 112-year-old Portal Bridge, for which STV, in a joint venture, is providing construction management and inspection services. Construction on the project began in April of this year.

The structure will be replaced with a new, two-track, high-level, fixed-span bridge that will rise 50 feet over the Hackensack River in New Jersey, allowing marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic.

“The bridge is located within a 2.4-mile corridor, serving two of the most active passenger rail lines in North America: NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak,” said Jim Takacs, P.E., CCM, STV senior associate and deputy project manager. “This project requires complex construction management, phasing and staging to maintain active rail service while the bridge replacement is underway, and STV is thrilled that this agreement will allow us to continue our work on this essential project for the community.”

Since the Portal Bridge was originally constructed in 1910, it has become the busiest rail span in the entire Western Hemisphere. At peak usage, more than 450 trains pass over the bridge every day carrying more than 200,000 Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT customers according to the Federal Transit Administration.

STV has provided engineering, design and other professional services for the rail industry for more than 40 years. The firm’s bridge capabilities include coastal bridges as well as bridge widenings and replacement projects for fixed, movable, long-span and viaduct structures. The firm has worked on such iconic structures as the Longfellow Bridge in Massachusetts and the Grand Avenue Bridge in Connecticut. The firm has also supported a broad range of rail and transit initiatives that has earned it a reputation as a leader in transportation infrastructure planning, design and construction management.