Critical Gateway Infrastructure Receives Approval to Move Forward

New Rating for the Portal North Bridge Project from the U.S. Department of Transportation, alongside existing funds from Congress could mean immediate progress for part of the Gateway Project

Washington, D.C. (February 10, 2020) — Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, joined with New Jersey delegation members Reps. Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) in applauding new ratings from the Department of Transportation (DOT) for the Portal North Bridge Project that, alongside funds Congress has previously appropriated, will finally allow the replacement of this critical piece of infrastructure. The Portal Bridge is an important element of the Gateway project, which will modernize and improve transportation infrastructure for the region and the Northeast Corridor.

“This is an incredible moment that has been long awaited, and the replacement of this bridge is sorely needed,” said Rep. Watson Coleman. “Jobs, increased safety, economic development — Gateway is the key to all of these for our state, and the broader region. We’ve already done the work of ensuring there are funds available — this clearance from DOT unlocks the ability to get this project moving.”

“This project will not only improve reliability for travelers and commuters, it will generate jobs and increase the safety and security of the entire Northeast Corridor for generations to come,” said Rep. Norcross. “Gateway is an investment in our infrastructure, as well as workers and their families.”

“Since coming to Congress, I have had no higher priority than delivering the Portal North Bridge for my constituents,” said Rep. Malinowski. “Relentless pressure from Congress has produced a major win for New Jersey commuters and I look forward to seeing work started soon.”

“With this long-deserved rating for the Portal Bridge, North Jersey will finally be able to begin moving forward with the most important infrastructure project in our country. Jersey has held up our end of the bargain, and now I’m hopeful that the federal government will hold up theirs,” said Rep. Gottheimer. “Thousands of workers already face a grueling commute, with far too many delays, on an outdated system of tunnels and bridges. We now need the federal government to update their rating on the Gateway plan to replace the century-old tunnels beneath the Hudson River, so this part of the project can move forward too. We know that infrastructure investment gives one of the best returns on investment of anything. We know that commuters depend on these tunnels to get to work, so they can provide for their families. We know that if one of the tunnels were to crumble, it would cost the regional economy $100 million a day. Here in the greatest country in the world, we all have a responsibility, and the ability, to do whatever we can, at all levels of government to fix this tunnel and our crumbling infrastructure. We cannot afford to delay a day longer.”

“The 110-year-old Portal Bridge is a chokepoint in our region’s aging transportation network,” said Rep. Sherrill. “The New Jersey delegation has been relentlessly focused on moving forward on the replacement project for Portal, a critical component of the Gateway Tunnel Project. I’m glad to see the Department of Transportation has come to recognize the urgency of replacing Portal and getting shovels in the ground. Our commuters, businesses, and residents in North Jersey have been waiting for this day for a long time.”

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