Dock Bridge

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Dock Bridge
Dock Bridge - Newark, NJ.jpg
Amtrak Dock Vertical Lift bridge.
Dock Bridge is located in Hudson County, New Jersey
Dock Bridge
Dock Bridge
Location Passaic River
Newark - Harrison
New Jersey
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Area 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1935
Architect Waddell & Hardesty; Waddell,Dr.J.A.L.
Architectural style Through-Truss Lift Bridge
NRHP Reference # 80002484[1]
NJRHP # 1227[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP October 3, 1980
Designated NJRHP July 21, 1979

Dock Bridge is a pair of vertical lift bridges crossing the Passaic River at Newark, Essex County and Harrison, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, used exclusively for railroad traffic. It is the seventh crossing from the river's mouth at Newark Bay and is 5.0 miles (8.0 km) upstream from it.[3] Also known as the Amtrak Dock Vertical Lift, it carries Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and Port Authority Trans Hudson trains. It is listed on the state and federal registers of historic places.


History

Looking west along the Passaic River

The bridge was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) for its main line. The west span carries three tracks and opened in 1935 along with the west half of Newark Penn Station. The lift span is 230 feet (70 m) over bearings (clear channel 200 ft), the longest three-track lift span in the world when built.[4] The east spans opened in 1937 when the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (H&M, later called PATH) shifted its rapid transit trains from the Centre Street Bridge to the newly built station[5] With the opening of the eastern span, the PRR closed Manhattan Transfer station in the Kearny Meadows, where previously steam and electrical trains were changed and passengers could transfer to trains to New York Penn Station on the PRR or to Hudson Terminal on the H&M.[5]

Description

The west span carries three tracks for the Northeast Corridor (NEC). The east structure carries the two PATH tracks on one span and one Amtrak/NJ Transit track on another span.

The lower 17 miles (27 km) downstream of the 90-mile (140 km) long Passaic River below the Dundee Dam is tidally influenced and navigable.[3] When closed the bridge has a vertical clearance of 24 feet (7.3 m) above mean high water and opens to clear 135 ft.[6] It is infrequently lifted and, prior to 2014,[7] had not received a request for a river traffic opening since 2004.[6] In 2011 regulations were changed so that it need not be open on demand (as it previously had[8]) but with a 24-hour notice.[9] During 4 year removal of dredged materials from the Passaic the bridge is expected to open upwards of 10 times per day [10]

The Dock Bridge connecting Harrison and Newark

See also

References

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  3. 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. 6.0 6.1 U.S. Coast Guard, New York, NY (2009-05-28). "Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Passaic River, Harrison, NJ, Maintenance. Notice of temporary deviation from regulations." Federal Register, 74 FR 25448.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. http://cfr.vlex.com/vid/117-passaic-river-19757052
  9. Federal Register (Vol. 76, No. 204) October 21, 2011 Rules and Regulations
  10. http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2014/10/amtrak_and_nj_transit_fear_passaic_river_dredging.html#incart_river

External links