Dock Bridge

United States historic place

Dock Bridge

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

New Jersey Register of Historic Places

Amtrak Dock Vertical Lift bridge.

Dock Bridge

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Dock Bridge

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Dock Bridge

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Location| Passaic River
Newark \- Harrison
New Jersey
Coordinates| 40°44′9″N 74°9′43″W﻿ / ﻿40.73583°N 74.16194°W﻿ / 40.73583; -74.16194
Area| 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built| 1935
Architect| Waddell & Hardesty; Waddell, Dr.J.A.L.
Architectural style| Through-Truss Lift Bridge
NRHP reference No.| 80002484[1]
NJRHP No.| 1227[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP| October 3, 1980
Designated NJRHP| July 21, 1979

Bridge

Dock Bridge

Coordinates| 40°44′09″N 74°09′43″W﻿ / ﻿40.7358°N 74.1619°W﻿ / 40.7358; -74.1619
Carries| Amtrak, NJ Transit (West span)
and PATH and Amtrak/NJ Transit (East span)
Crosses| Passaic River
Characteristics
Design| pair of through-truss
vertical lift bridges
Clearance below| 24 ft (7.32 m) (closed)
135 ft (41.15 m) (open)
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks| 3 (West span),
3 (East span)
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Structure gauge| AAR
Location

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, NJ Transit, and PATH trains. It is listed on the state and federal registers of historic places.

## History[edit]

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 feet or 61 meters), 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[edit]

The west span carries three tracks exclusively used by Amtrak and NJ Transit for Northeast Corridor intercity and commuter traffic between Newark and New York City. The east span carries two PATH tracks used by PATH's Newark-World Trade Center service and one NEC track shared by Amtrak and NJ Transit. Due partly to its use of the Dock Bridge, PATH is legally a commuter railroad under the jurisdiction of the Federal Railroad Administration even though it has long operated as a rapid transit system.[6][7]

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 (41 m).[8] It is infrequently lifted and, prior to 2014,[9] had not received a request for a river traffic opening since 2004.[8] In 2011 regulations were changed so that it need not be open on demand (as it previously had[10]) but with a 24-hour notice.[11] During four-year removal of dredged materials from the Passaic the bridge is expected to open upwards of 10 times per day.[12] In 2020 Amtrak requested that bridge remain in closed position until such time as it can be rehabilitated.[13]

The Dock Bridge connecting Harrison and Newark

## See also[edit]

* Gateway Project, regional transportation improvement project
* List of crossings of the Lower Passaic River
* List of bridges, tunnels, and cuts in Hudson County, New Jersey
* List of NJT movable bridges
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, New Jersey
* List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey

## References[edit]

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Essex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection \- Historic Preservation Office. September 6, 2011. p. 12\. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2017.
3. ^ a b "Lower Passaic River Restoration Project Commercial Navigation Analysis" (PDF). United States Army Corps of Engineers. July 2, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
4. ^ "Newark Dedicates Its New Terminal; New Bridge Also Ready" (PDF). The New York Times. March 24, 1935.
5. ^ a b "New Station Open for Hudson Tubes". The New York Times. June 20, 1937. p. 1.
6. ^ Vantuono, William C. (October 27, 2009). "Siemens lands PATH CBTC contract". Railway Age. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
7. ^ "Amtrak's Northeast Corridor: Information on the Status and Cost of Needed Improvements". U.S. Government Publishing Office. April 13, 1995. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
8. ^ a b U.S. Coast Guard, New York, NY (May 28, 2009). "Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Passaic River, Harrison, NJ, Maintenance. Notice of temporary deviation from regulations." Federal Register, 74 FR 25448.
9. ^ "Due to the opening of the Amtrak Dock Bridge, service on the NWK-WTC line is suspended". Retrieved September 9, 2014.
10. ^ "33 CFR 117.739 - Passaic River". Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
11. ^ "Federal Register (Vol. 76, No. 204) October 21, 2011 Rules and Regulations" (PDF). GPO.gov. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
12. ^ Higgs, Larry (October 29, 2014). "Fears that Passaic River dredging could delay rail commuters". NJ.com. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
13. ^ Higgs, Larry (August 15, 2020). "85-year-old train bridge in Newark delays riders. Amtrak working on plan to fix the problem". NJ.com.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dock Bridge (Passaic River).

* Dock Bridge at Bridges & Tunnels
* Dock Drawbridge and Interlocking Tower at Wikimapia

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PATH

Services|

* NWK–WTC
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Stations|

Exchange Place
Grove Street
Harrison
Hoboken
Journal Square
Newark
Newport
Christopher Street
Ninth Street
14th Street
23rd Street
33rd Street
World Trade Center

Infrastructure|

Dock Bridge
Downtown Hudson Tubes
PATH Lift Bridge
Uptown Hudson Tubes

Historical/Former|

Centre Street Bridge
Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse
Hudson Terminal
Manhattan Transfer
Park Place

Fares|

SmartLink
MetroCard
OMNY (future)

Related|

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

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NJ Transit Rail Operations

Hoboken Division|

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Newark Division|

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Connections|

* Aldene Connection
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Current rolling stock|

* EMD GP40PH-2
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* Comet coaches
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* Arrow multiple units

Bridges and tunnels|

* Beach Bridge
* Bergen Tunnels
* Brielle Draw
* Connecting Railway Bridge
* DB Draw
* Delair Bridge
* Dock Bridge
* East River Tunnels
* HX Draw
* Lower Hack Lift
* Lyndhurst Draw
* Morgan Draw
* Morrisville–Trenton Railroad Bridge
* Newark Drawbridge
* North River Tunnels
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* List of stations
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Proposed lines|

* Lackawanna Cut-Off
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* West Trenton Line

Other topics|

* Access to the Region's Core
* Atlantic City Express Service
* Glassboro–Camden Line
* Gateway Program
* Mid-Line Loop
* Northern Branch
* Passaic–Bergen–Hudson Transit
* Sawtooth Bridges
* Train to the Game
* Former stations
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Crossings of the Passaic River

| Upstream
Centre Street Bridge (removed)
| Dock Bridge
Amtrak / NJ Transit /  | Downstream
Jackson Street Bridge

|
|

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National Register of Historic Places in Hudson County, New Jersey

Landmarks|

* Clark Thread Company Historic District
* Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company Warehouse
* Holland Tunnel
* Statue of Liberty National Monument

Districts|

* Buildings at 1200-1206 Washington Street
* Hamilton Park Historic District
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Places of
worship|

* Church of Our Lady of Grace
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* Saint Ann Roman Catholic Church and Rectory
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* St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
* United Synagogue of Hoboken

Houses|

* Dr. William Barrow Mansion
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Buildings|

* Association of Exempt Firemen Building
* Bayonne Truck House No. 1
* Bayonne Trust Company
* Engine Company No. 2
* Engine Company No. 3
* Engine Company No. 4
* Engine Company No. 5
* Engine Company No. 6
* Engine House No. 3, Truck No. 2
* Excelsior Engine Co. No. 2 Firehouse
* Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Terminal at Hoboken
* Fairmount Apartments
* Ficken's Warehouse
* Hackensack Water Company Complex
* Highland Hose No. 4
* Hoboken City Hall
* Hoboken Free Public Library and Manual Training School
* Hoboken Land and Improvement Company Building
* Hook and Ladder No. 3
* Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Powerhouse
* Hudson County Courthouse
* Jefferson Trust Company
* Jersey City Central Railroad Terminal
* Jersey City High School
* Jersey City YMCA
* Keuffel and Esser Manufacturing Complex
* Labor Bank Building
* Loew's Jersey Theatre
* Morton Memorial Laboratory of Chemistry
* Pohlmann's Hall
* Edwin A. Stevens Hall
* William Hall Walker Gymnasium

Objects|

* Firemen's Monument

Structures|

* Dock Bridge
* Machigonne
* Pulaski Skyway
* Robbins Reef Light Station
* Route 1 Extension

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Hudson County, New Jersey and List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey

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U.S. National Register of Historic Places

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Related|

* National Historic Preservation Act
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