Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge is a vertical lift bridge spanning the Newark Bay
in northeastern New Jersey
. It is used by CSX Transportation
travelling through the North Jersey Shared Assets Area of the United States
rail network along the National Docks Secondary
line. The bridge is just north and parallel to the New Jersey Turnpike
's Newark Bay Bridge
. A notable train using the bridge is the Juice Train
, which originates in Florida
.
The western end of the bridge is near Oak Island Yard
north of Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal
and Newark International Airport in an industrial area of Ironbound
Newark
. Its eastern end is in Bayonne
, where rail lines continue east across Bergen Hill
to maritime, industrial, distribution complexes at Port Jersey, Greenville Yards
, Constable Hook, and others along the shores of the Upper New York Bay
and Kill Van Kull
. The New York New Jersey Rail LLC operates a carfloat at this end with transfers to Bush Terminal Yard at the former Bush Terminal
. Connections to the rail network to the north are made using the National Docks line through Jersey City and the Long Dock Tunnel
to Croxton Yard
.
The rail route started in 1893 as part the Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway
which was soon absorbed by the Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway
to reach terminals on the North River and at Black Tom. The Pennsylvania Railroad
also used the bridge to reach its Greenville Yard on Upper New York Bay
.
The original wooden trestle structure was mostly destroyed in a fire with great losses on June 14, 1913.
It was replaced by the companies three months later in what was considered a formidable feat of being re-built in twelve days after construction had started.
The current bridge, built from 1928–1930, is the last of the rail bridges across the bay or Kearny Point at its northern end. The CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge downstream and the Newark and New York Railroad Bridge upstream have been dismantled.
Newark Bay
Newark Bay is a tidal bay at the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in northeastern New Jersey. It is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the largest container shipping facility in Port of New York and New Jersey, 3rd largest and one of busiest in the United States...
in northeastern New Jersey
Gateway Region
The Gateway Region is located in the northeastern part of State of New Jersey in the United States of America. The area encompasses Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union and Middlesex counties...
. It is used by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
travelling through the North Jersey Shared Assets Area of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rail network along the National Docks Secondary
National Docks Secondary
National Docks Secondary is freight rail line within Conrail's North Jersey Shared Assets Area in Hudson County, New Jersey, used by CSX Transportation. It provides access to the national rail network to maritime, industrial, and distribution facilities at Port Jersey, the Military Ocean Terminal...
line. The bridge is just north and parallel to the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
's Newark Bay Bridge
Newark Bay Bridge
The Newark Bay Bridge is a steel through arch bridge that is continuous across three spans. It crosses Newark Bay and connects the cities of Newark and Bayonne in New Jersey...
. A notable train using the bridge is the Juice Train
Juice Train
"Juice Train" is the popular name for famous unit trains of Tropicana fresh orange juice operated by railroads in the United States....
, which originates in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
The western end of the bridge is near Oak Island Yard
Oak Island Yard
Oak Island Yard is a freight rail yard located north of Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Newark International Airport in an industrial area of Ironbound, Newark, New Jersey, USA. The sprawling complex includes engine house, classification yard, auto unloading terminal, and maintenance...
north of Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal is a major component of the Port of New York and New Jersey. Located on the Newark Bay it serves as the principal container ship facility for goods entering and leaving New York-Newark metropolitan area, and the northeastern quadrant of North America...
and Newark International Airport in an industrial area of Ironbound
Ironbound
The Ironbound is a large working-class neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. This close-knit, multi-ethnic community covers approximately four square miles . Historically, the area was called "Dutch Neck," "Down Neck," or simply "the Neck," because of the way the Passaic River curved to form what...
Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Its eastern end is in Bayonne
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
, where rail lines continue east across Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
to maritime, industrial, distribution complexes at Port Jersey, Greenville Yards
Port Jersey
Port Jersey is an intermodal freight transport facility that includes a container terminal located on the Upper New York Bay in the Port of New York and New Jersey. The municipal border of the Hudson County, New Jersey cities of Jersey City and Bayonne runs along the long pier extending into the bay...
, Constable Hook, and others along the shores of the Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay, or Upper Bay, is the traditional heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, and often called New York Harbor. It is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne.It...
and Kill Van Kull
Kill Van Kull
The Kill Van Kull is a tidal strait between Staten Island, New York and Bayonne, New Jersey in the United States. Approximately long and wide, it connects Newark Bay with Upper New York Bay. The Robbins Reef Light marks the eastern end of the Kill, Bergen Point its western end...
. The New York New Jersey Rail LLC operates a carfloat at this end with transfers to Bush Terminal Yard at the former Bush Terminal
Bush Terminal
Bush Terminal now known as Industry City is a historic intermodal shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex on the waterfront in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City...
. Connections to the rail network to the north are made using the National Docks line through Jersey City and the Long Dock Tunnel
Long Dock Tunnel
The Long Dock Tunnel is a tunnel in New Jersey that runs diagonally through Bergen Hill, a section of the New Jersey Palisades in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States...
to Croxton Yard
Croxton, Jersey City
Croxton is a section of Jersey City, New Jersey roughly bounded by Secaucus at Penhorn Creek , The Riverbend of the Hackensack River and the Hudson Generating Station and the Marion Section to the south and Truck 1-9 and Western Slope to the east...
.
History
Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway
The Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway was incorporated on July 6, 1889 and acquired by the Lehigh Valley Railroad . Construction was completed in 1893...
which was soon absorbed by the Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway
Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway
The Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway was a Lehigh Valley Railroad company organized in 1891 through the consolidation of the companies that formed the Lehigh Valley's route from South Plainfield through Newark to Jersey City via its bridge across Newark Bay...
to reach terminals on the North River and at Black Tom. The Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
also used the bridge to reach its Greenville Yard on Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay, or Upper Bay, is the traditional heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, and often called New York Harbor. It is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne.It...
.
The original wooden trestle structure was mostly destroyed in a fire with great losses on June 14, 1913.
It was replaced by the companies three months later in what was considered a formidable feat of being re-built in twelve days after construction had started.
The current bridge, built from 1928–1930, is the last of the rail bridges across the bay or Kearny Point at its northern end. The CRRNJ Newark Bay Bridge downstream and the Newark and New York Railroad Bridge upstream have been dismantled.
See also
- Lehigh Valley Terminal RailwayLehigh Valley Terminal RailwayThe Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway was a Lehigh Valley Railroad company organized in 1891 through the consolidation of the companies that formed the Lehigh Valley's route from South Plainfield through Newark to Jersey City via its bridge across Newark Bay...
- Oak Island YardOak Island YardOak Island Yard is a freight rail yard located north of Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal and Newark International Airport in an industrial area of Ironbound, Newark, New Jersey, USA. The sprawling complex includes engine house, classification yard, auto unloading terminal, and maintenance...
- Lehigh Line (Conrail)Lehigh Line (Conrail)The Conrail Lehigh Line is a railroad line in the state of New Jersey operated as part of the North Jersey Shared Assets Area. It runs from Jersey City to Bound Brook along the former main line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad...
- Timeline of Jersey City area railroadsTimeline of Jersey City area railroadsFor the purposes of this article, the Jersey City area goes north to Edgewater , south to Bayonne, and includes Kearny Junction and Harrison but not Newark...
- List of bridges, tunnels, and cuts in Hudson County, New Jersey
- Marion Junction
- Hackensack RiverWalkHackensack RiverWalkHackensack RiverWalk a is partially constructed greenway along the Newark Bay and Hackensack River on the west side of the Bergen Neck peninsula in Hudson County, New Jersey...