The Raritan Bay Drawbridge, also known as River-Draw, Raritan Bay Swing Bridge, and Raritan River Railroad Bridge, is a railroad swing bridge crossing the Raritan River 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from where it empties into the Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It connects Perth Amboy to the north and South Amboy to the south.[3]
Raritan Bay Drawbridge | |
|---|---|
 In the open position in early summer 2011 | |
| Coordinates | 40°29′46″N 74°16′52″W / 40.496°N 74.281°W |
| Carries | New York and Long Branch (to 1976) Conrail North Jersey Coast Line |
| Crosses | Raritan River |
| Locale | Perth Amboy and South Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey |
| Other name(s) | River Draw |
| Owner | New Jersey Transit |
| ID number | NJT 400 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Swing bridge |
| Longest span | 331 feet (101 m)[1] |
| No. of spans | 30[1] |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Pennsylvania Steel Company McCullen and McDermott[2] |
| Construction end | 1908[1] |
| Location | |
 | |
History
The bridge was built in 1908 to replace one that had been built at the crossing in 1875 to serve the New York and Long Branch Railroad, jointly operated by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) and Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).[1] Near the end of its construction, the bridge was sabotaged by a dynamite blast.[2] A few years after completion, the bridge was damaged in a severe winter storm.[4] The bridge has been owned by several different parties since the CNJ/PRR era: Penn Central (1968–1971), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (to 1983), and New Jersey Transit (NJT).
Operations
The bridge is used by NJT commuter rail on its North Jersey Coast Line and for Conrail-Norfolk Southern rail freight operations. Federal regulations require the bridge to be open on signal except during rush hour or when a train has passed the home signal for it.[3]
Replacement
The bridge was scheduled to be replaced after suffering structural damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.[5] The bridge was overwashed by the storm surge, struck by two tugboats, and had to be realigned before low-speed service could resume a month later. A $446 million federal grant, announced in 2014, will fund construction of a new bridge while trains continue using the existing bridge.[6][7] A groundbreaking ceremony was held September 15, 2020, with completion projected for 2026.[8]
See also
References
External links
- Photograph of Raritan Bay Drawbridge from RailPictures.net
- Photograph of Raritan Bay Drawbridge from RailPictures.net
- Photograph of Raritan Bay Drawbridge from RailPictures.net
- Video of towboat and barge transiting the Raritan River Railroad Bridge (pilothouse perspective)